A Fairy Tale Noir: Part 2
by ladyhouse
Summary: CONTINUED FROM A FAIRY TALE NOIR: PART 1. Making a new home in Gresham, Oregon, Oliveah Adler is determined to build some kind of normality for her, Will Graham and her child. Though what is normal for a young woman who fell for a cannibalistic serial killer, she tries to find out unknowing that Hannibal Lecter will continue to haunt her for the rest of her life.
1. Chapter 1

I do not own anything related to Hannibal, either thru television, or written books. Everything belongs to Thomas Harris and Bryan Fuller. I do own all the created characters. I do not own any songs, or literature mentioned. They are included to enhance the written words. Please read, review, and enjoy!

**Chapter 1**

**Song(s): Seven Days Walking/Day 1- The Path of the Fossils (Ludovico Einaudi), **Botanical Romance (Isobel Anderson)

_April 30__th_

_11:23pm_

_1 North Clinton Street, Baltimore, Maryland…_

Parking the blue Ford Focus down at the far end of the alleyway, Hannibal Lecter stepped out into the rain and walked to the backyard of the still under renovation townhouse that had been Oliveah's home for the first two years of her life in Baltimore. Grabbing the ends of the wet green tarp with his good arm, he flung it perfectly over the hood before bringing it up to rest over the remainder of the car.

Stepping over the fence, he strode up the yard towards the backdoor as he wrapped his wet bloody hand around the knob, pushing in hard as he stepped out of the rain. Walking across the hardwood floor past a table full of carpenter's tools, he took up a black flip phone and texted in a number before thumbing a quick message. Closing the lid, he laid it on the table and grabbed a small belt sander before smashing it down, ignoring the pieces as they flew about the room and onto the floor.

Carefully peeling off his wet blood-stained shirt, he dropped it into a bucket before taking up the black duffel bag that he had hid the day after Oliveah had discovered Andrew's charred body in the kitchen. Due to the house being off limits from its current renovation as a crime scene, he had felt relaxed enough to bring items here to store. Staring down at the second bag of Oliveah's belongings, he grabbed it and tossed it whole into the bucket on top of his shirt, not bothering to explore its contents.

Wincing as he felt a thin trail of blood running down the inside of his forearm from the bullet wound in his shoulder, Hannibal groaned before swearing under his breath as he moved to his bag. Pulling open the zipper, he took out two glass tumblers and a bottle of Bourbon.

_This was to be their celebratory drink to freedom_

_Freedom from Crawford, freedom from the Chesapeake Ripper running amok in Baltimore, and freedom from William Graham_

_A new life together_

_Killers created_

_A child to shape_

_A fresh start_

Roughly picking up one of the tumblers, Hannibal whipped it against the far wall as it exploded into pieces all over the floor. Feeling his carnal anger growing at the thought of the young woman who had chosen to stay behind, he dropped down onto one of the mismatched chairs covered in dried white paint wincing as more blood dripped down from the bullet hole in his shoulder and onto the floor boards.

"You had better pray Jack that I don't find out you have survived" he groaned, hearing the sound of the front door to the townhouse closing. Sitting back in the chair as it let out a sharp creak, he listened to the cautious light footsteps approaching as he wrapped his fingers once more around the Bourbon bottle, re-filling the tumbler for his guest.

Catching the woman's eyes as she slowly rounded the corner of the wall, he took in her dyed auburn colored hair and black rimmed costumed glasses before lowering his gaze onto the black doctor's bag in her right hand.

"I'm happy to see you answered my text."

Hearing Hannibal's words as she noticed the tumbler, Bedelia moved cautiously to the far side of the table before setting her bag of medical supplies down. Clearing her throat as Hannibal pushed the glass towards her with bloody fingers, she shook her head as he downed the entire glass in one gulp.

"What, happened Hannibal?"

Catching her eye as he reached over for the bag, Lecter pulled it toward him as he carefully mulled over his simple answer.

"Death."

Swallowing slowly as she took out her matching flip phone, she laid it on the table and looked around for a suitable tool to smash it with.

"There is a toolbox on the counter, find a hammer."

"Did you kill…everyone?"

Taking out a curved needle followed by a pair of medical tweezers, he knocked his knuckles on the table for her attention as Bedelia returned to the table with a small hammer.

"Bedelia, why not just ask me straight forward."

"Is, Oliveah alive?"

Holding out the pair of tweezers towards her, he watched as she took them between her long fingers before taking up a white hand towel.

"Yes."

"You let her live? Even though she rejec…" Bedelia began, feeling the rush of words falling from her lips.

_Don't poke the beast_

"Oliveah is pregnant with my child. She is due to give birth in November."

Freezing at his words, she lightly dabbed the towel against the bloody gunshot wound before tossing it aside.

"Would you have let her live if she wasn't pregnant?"

Remaining silent as he lowered his eyes onto her fingers, he watched as she concentrated on pulling out the bullet before setting it down carefully on the table top. Hearing the cannibal's low growl escaping from the back of his throat, Bedelia took up the curved needle and started to thread it across the wound, closing it shut with expert precision.

Catching sight of his blood covering her fingers and the side of her hand, Hannibal moistened his lips as he thought back to the first time, he had tasted Oliveah's blood…

_(Flashback)_

"_You need some attention as well Miss. Adler" Lecter spoke as Oliveah turned in his direction._

"_I'm fine."_

_Letting go of Will's wrist, Hannibal reached his fingers out and gripped her elbow firmly raising her arm up. It was only then that she felt warm liquid streaming down her arm._

"_Oh…"_

_Watching the head of the needle disappearing into her skin, Oliveah followed his fingers as he expertly began to sew her skin back together._

"_Dr. Bloom mentioned that you were once a Medical Doctor" Oliveah spoke, breaking the silence as Lecter pulled the needle towards him._

"_I was once a practicing surgeon in my early years" he replied, never taking his eyes off his work._

"_Why did you choose to become a psychiatrist?"_

_Tying the thread closed, Hannibal snipped the needle free as he ran his finger along the edge of the cut almost admiring his work._

"_I killed a patient."_

_Hearing his honest reply, Oliveah closed her mouth as Hannibal wrapped gauze to cover and secure._

"_Your upper arm will be numb for a while, keep it dry and I will apply clean gauze in the morning."_

_It was all he spoke as he stood to his feet._

_Nodding her head in silent thanks, Oliveah ducked out of the washroom and without further word left the motel room carrying her sweater. _

_Rubbing his hands together, the doctor took sight of Oliveah's blood that was starting to dry on the outside of his right hand. Bringing his hand up, Lecter dragged his tongue over the blood and closed his eyes…_

"Did Oliveah ever tell you that she found me in New York City?"

Hearing Bedelia's shaky words as he heard a rumble of thunder over the quiet townhouse, Hannibal leaned forward and grabbed the bottle of Bourbon before hooking his finger along the rim of the tumbler.

"I read your hand-written letter of warning."

Slowly moving her eyes onto the table, she swallowed hard as she watched the fingers of the serial killer's good hand slowly flex open and close.

"She never ran from you."

"Unlike you. Were you really surprised Bedelia?" Hannibal growled as he pushed the woman's hand away before rising to his feet. Taking out a clean dry black long sleeve dress shirt, he swung it awkwardly around his defined shoulders as he ignored the woman's greedy eyes running over his naked pectoral muscles.

"You need me to complete your picture Hannibal" she challenged calmly as the Doctor pursed his lips.

"For the time being."

_He's not going to kill you Bedelia_

_That just wouldn't be smart on his part, and he is very rarely ever impulsive_

"If you believe that I am not going to kill you Bedelia, you are gravely mistaken" Hannibal offered as pulled the end of a leather belt through the loops of his black trousers.

"Wh…when do you think, you would ever entertain such an idea Hannibal?"

Licking his lips as he ignored the searing pain from the split skin, the cannibal continued to dress in silence before gathering up everything off the wooden table, dumping the items into the bucket before he reached for a small pack of matches that sat on the counter ledge.

"When I decide, to come back and collect my family" he offered simply as he struck a single match, allowing it to fall into the bin as it caught everything on fire.

…

_4 Months Later_

_August 5__th_

_7:12pm_

"_You really have no fear of me Oliveah, and that is not wise."_

_Feeling Hannibal's hand tightly gripping her wrist, she ignored the pain as she tried to twist away from him. Wincing with the touch of his fingers closing in around her throat, she simply stared up into his dark eyes as he refused to blink. _

_You gave up believing in promises by the age of ten Oliveah, why would you believe anything that falls from this man's mouth now?_

_I promised that I would never kill you Oliveah. But I never promised, to leave you in one piece_

_Bringing a hand up against his, she laid her fingers over his as she felt her wind pipe slowly closing _

_A lack of oxygen to the brain can cause permanent damage in as little as four minutes…_

_Watching Lecter's tongue licking slowly along his lip as the smear of blood disappeared, Oliveah found it harder to swallow as Hannibal narrowed his eyes. _

_He is going to kill me_

_Us_

_Staring into his dark almost burgundy colored eyes, she braced herself to feel the sharpness of the knife against the hardness of her belly just as she felt the pressure of his fingers starting to lessen around her throat. _

"_In the end, you won't choose me."_

_Hearing the clang of the knife against the floor, she felt the wetness of his bloody fingers trailing down her throat before all physical ceased like an electric current…_

Jolting awake, the young woman let out a yelp as she felt Buster's tongue licking her hand from his cradled sleeping spot near the crook of her arm. Straightening up awkwardly in her seat as she felt a sharp pain in her hip, twenty-three-year-old Oliveah Adler let out a tired sigh as she leaned the side of her head against the cool car window pane.

"I'll pull over at the next rest stop."

Closing her eyes as she tuned in to the raindrops hitting against the window, Oliveah felt the small terrier curling up against her shoe as Winston let out a whimper from the backseat.

_I know boy_

_I know_

Laying a hand on her six-month pregnant stomach, she inched her fingers beneath the fabric of her light pink t-shirt as she felt a kick from the unborn child.

_I could find out if you are a boy or a girl_

_I could name you_

_I could try, to prepare you for what is coming…_

Hearing the low frequency of the radio waves as they scanned over the dial for any station, Oliveah leaned back in her seat and stared out the rain drenched windshield as Will Graham cleared his throat from the driver's side.

"Next rest stop is in about twenty minutes."

Feeling her growing child resting hard against her pelvis, Oliveah nodded her head as the radio finally caught a frequency…

_We talked about the weather,_

_You said it couldn't get much better,_

_And then you asked me, _

_If I would go for a walk._

_Maybe it's time to move on,_

_For he was long ago,_

_And isn't there to care anymore…_

"It's only day two of our drive and already, I'm so uncomfortable" she muttered as Winston let out another whimper.

_You said it Winston_

"You could stretch out in the back? I'm sure Winston wouldn't mind sitting up front" Will offered as he caught Oliveah's quick glance.

Packing up a few meagre possessions from the white farmhouse in Virginia that mainly consisted of tools, flannel shirts, and a hunting rifle, Oliveah glanced back to the two duffel bags and three boxes that contained nothing which belonged to her.

_Everything I had was in Hannibal's house_

_I own nothing except the clothes on my back_

_I own nothing, but you…_

Touching her stomach one last time, she was relieved to spy off in the distance a gas station that would have a bathroom and the promise of some sort of greasy style food. Feeling the black Jeep Cherokee slowing in speed as Will steered it into the lot, he grabbed the Pittsburgh ballcap from the dashboard and held it out for Oliveah.

"Just until you can change your appearance."

Accepting the hat, Oliveah gathered up her hair and pulled it into a ponytail before slipping it through the opening at the back.

_Change my appearance_

Because every news outfit in America including Lounds's Tattle Crime bullshit has run some kind of photograph.

Grinding her teeth as Will turned off the Jeep engine to re-fuel, Oliveah stared at the dashboard as she wondered just how much money Frederika Lounds was making by selling her pictures and running her intimate knowledge stories from her time as a student at Hopkins and under the direction of Alana Bloom.

_I will not ever, set eyes on her website again_

_That, I promise_

Throwing her door open, she watched as both Buster and Winston took off at a run towards the side of the building, relieving themselves for nearly a minute each. Rounding the back of the Jeep, Oliveah lifted the trunk hatch and ran a hand over the duffel bags before spying the bag of dried dog food. Grabbing two stainless steel bowls, she filled each one up before setting them on the ground near the tire.

"Where are we right now?"

Hearing Oliveah's question as he continued to pump gas, Will cleared his throat before running his free hand over the scruff of his beard.

"On the I70 just outside Everett. We can either keep going for a few more hours, or we can find a motel room, if there is one around here."

Turning back around to look at the small building, she would ask for the closest and cheapest accommodations just as a rumble of thunder sounded off in the distance.

"I'm going inside to use the washroom."

Making her way across the lot, she stepped around a large puddle before pulling open the door to the sound of a dying buzzer announcing her presence. Looking around, Oliveah spied a washroom sign and began walking towards when a throat cleared from behind the cash desk.

"You're gonna need a key Miss."

Tossing the bathroom key that was attached to the dirtiest piece of wood she had ever seen onto the edge of the rusted sink, Oliveah slammed the stall door shut as she took a seat and cradled her head between her hands.

_I'm tired_

_No…_

_I'm exhausted_

It had been four months and three days since that bloody night inside the Spring Lake house. A night where nearly everyone had died physically.

He had let her live, though she had not escaped unharmed…

_(Flashback)_

_Sitting quietly in the darkness of Will's hospital room the second to last night before he was released, she listened to his soft snores as light rain drops fell against the window pane. Dragging her thumb along the bottom of her stomach, she shifted as she closed her eyes and pictured the blade of the scalpel stabbing through her skin._

_An abortion had been constantly on her mind since nearly day one, and as she moved her eyes onto Will's slumbering face, she swallowed hard as she felt the child kick. _

_You know what I'm thinking…don't you little baby_

_Leaning forward to balance her forearms on her knees, Oliveah breathed in deeply as she spied shadows moving on the other side of the door in the corridor. _

_The Federal Agents_

_Closing her eyes as she decided to lean back against her chair, she counted how many weeks pregnant she was before remembering one of the last things she had Googled on her laptop before Hannibal had made her pack it away in his study._

_Surgical abortions could be done during the first or second trimester, and include procedures like aspiration (used up to 16 weeks after the last period) and dilation and evacuation (used after 16 weeks)_

"_According to Planned Parenthood, but everyone is different" she whispered as she heard Will turning over in his bed. _

"_Who is different?..."_

"Miss, are you alright in there?"

Throwing her eyes open at the sound of the loud banging against the bathroom door, Oliveah quickly finished her business before pushing open the stall door, stopping in front of the sink. Staring into the dirty mirror, she poked at the bags under her exhausted eyes before turning on the cold faucet. Letting the water flow over the puckered skin of her wrists, she quickly scooped a handful up against her face and licked at the drips before grabbing a generous handful of paper towel from the broken dispenser.

Pulling open the door before remembering the key on the counter, Oliveah shook her head and closed it behind her before walking over to the beverage fridge. Grabbing three bottles of the cheapest water, she also grabbed two packs of peanut M&M's and a box of Oreos.

"Your husband already paid for the gas, but he left an extra twenty here for your…groceries" the cashier smiled as she held a hand out for the washroom key.

"He's not my husband, and the key is on the counter back in the bathroom."

Walking quickly across the wet pavement towards the Jeep, Oliveah caught Will's smirk as he leaned against the open trunk.

"The essentials?"

Feeling Will's fingers helping with the bottles of water, he opened one and poured it into the empty food dish as both dogs took turns lapping.

"Oreos and M&M's are not going to keep you full. We'll find a restaurant somewhere and take it to go." Taking off her ballcap, Oliveah raised her eyes to the sky and breathed in deeply as the raindrops fell on her cheeks.

"He's out there somewhere Will. Be in somewhere in America, or..."

Feeling his hand settling on her shoulder with a firm squeeze, Will stared off into the distance as a lightning bolt pierced through the darken sky in the exact direction they were heading.

"We'll find a room here tonight so you can relax."

…

_(Flashback)_

_Clutching at the fabric of her blue scrub top as she felt the beads of sweat around her neck, the young woman threw her eyes open and twisted her wrist painfully as the sharp metal of a handcuff bit into her flesh. _

"_Where…where am I?"_

_Pulling on the cuff once more as her blurry eyes started to focus on the guard rail of the bed, Oliveah heard the sound of a clearing throat from the other side of the room. Moving her eyes, she spied a young Federal Agent sitting still in a chair, thumbing a message into his mobile before rising to his feet. __Moving her hand once more, she watched as the Officer rose to his feet and pulled open the door, sticking his head around the corner to speak to someone she couldn't see. _

"_**HEY! ANSWER ME!"**_

_Yelling loudly, Oliveah winced as she watched a middle age nurse push her way past the federal agent as she held onto the stethoscope that was around her neck. _

"_Okay seriously? I know you have a job to do, but so do I…" the woman spat before grabbing Oliveah's chart at the foot of her bed. _

_Moving her unrestricted hand across her stomach, Oliveah dipped her fingers beneath the fabric of her top as she felt the hardness of her stomach and the wires of the fetal monitor._

_She still had her baby_

"_Is…"_

"_You had a minor placenta abruption and some bleeding but all the tests look fine and the baby's heartbeat is strong given what you and it has been through tonight."_

_They know_

_Everyone must know now that I am pregnant_

_The local authorities, the FBI…_

_Kade Prurnell_

_Rubbing the tip of her thumb along her small belly, Oliveah kept her eyes focused on the closed hospital room door as she felt her palms starting to sweat. _

"_Am I under arrest?" _

_Scribbling down on the chart, the Nurse sneered down at the coldness of the metal handcuff before taking a step backwards to check the fluid levels of the vitamin bags. _

"_I don't know."_

_Hearing the creaking of the room door, she dared not raise her eyes, for she knew exactly who it was walking in over the threshold. _

"_I'm glad to see you are awake and alive Miss Adler."_

_Hearing Agent _Prurnell's_ deep voice, Oliveah turned her eyes and watched as the tall woman crossed her arms across her chest before glancing at the handcuff._

"_My agents and Baltimore PD are shifting through Doctor Lecter's house as we speak. Care to tell me if they will find anything interesting? Like maybe, your fingerprints on a knife? Or a piece of evidence that you forgot to clean up?"_

…

**So, January….**

**Sorry for not getting this second part up sooner. I was having such a hard time deciding how to get this started. The first chapter is always the hardest! Life has been so busy and time flies so fast I couldn't believe it was already March. I'm trying to decide on a posting schedule for Part 2 so please, subscribe and/or follow for updates!**


	2. Chapter 2

I do not own anything related to Hannibal, either thru television, or written books. Everything belongs to Thomas Harris and Bryan Fuller. I do own all the created characters. I do not own any songs, or literature mentioned. They are included to enhance the written words. Please read, review, and enjoy!

**Chapter 2**

**Song(s): Harvest Moon (Neil Young), Habibi (Tamino) **

_August 5__th_

_Budget Host Inn Bedford, 4378 Business 220, Bedford, Pennsylvania…_

_8:38pm_

"I'm going to take the dogs for a walk." Calling over her shoulder as she grabbed her ball cap once more, Oliveah slammed it down on her head before pushing the loose strains of her shoulder length brown hair back behind her ears.

Stepping out of the bedroom with the motel room's phone book in his hand, Will nodded his head as he took up the handle of the phone by the bedside table.

"How does Chinese sound?"

Feeling her stomach growl at the promise of greasy takeaway food, she reached over on the table for the dog's leashes as she thought of what she might like.

"Wonton soup and egg rolls please."

"Oh, don't worry, I'm getting more than that. You haven't eaten a proper full meal in two days. Though greasy and not healthy by any means, you are gonna eat more than fried rolls and pork stuffed wontons" Will lectured as he dialed in the phone number and agreed to be put on hold.

Clipping Winston and Buster into their collared leashes, Oliveah slipped a hand into her hoodie pocket and felt the sharp edge of the room key before pulling open the door. Smelling the threat of more rain, she walked slowly down the sheltered walkway past dark rooms and square shaped green hedges before she muttered a string of curses.

_My music_

Turning back around, she tied the dogs to one of the poles and ordered them to sit before walking back to the motel room. Pushing the door open, she froze with her hand on the doorknob just in time to see Will pulling off his white t-shirt. Running her eyes over his naked shoulders, she lowered her gaze onto the wide painful looking puckered scar that ran the length from his left hip all the way to his right.

_I held your guts in my hands Will_

"I…forgot my music"

Reading a chapter from the one dog eared baby book she had found in a second-hand Salvation Army thrift shop one day before they had started driving, she had read something called the "Mozart Effect" and had immediately taken all classical music off her Ipod in favor of an all Canadian Folk playlist

_Classical music doesn't create killers_

_Hannibal Lecter listened to classical music_

_You've heard classical music little baby_

Taking the Ipod and wrapped around earbuds from Will, she felt the rough skin of his fingertips against hers as she met his eyes. It was understood between them that they would never be intimate together. She couldn't bring herself to a relationship of any kind, not even with the small child that continued to grow daily in her stomach.

_I know I am supposed to be happy and excited at the prospect of becoming a Mother, but I can't. I did choose to keep you so that must account for something_

Closing the room door behind her as she stepped back out, her ears perked up at the sounds of light raindrops as she walked back towards the dogs. Letting Winston jump and lick at her hand as she untied their leashes, she curled the fabric around her wrist as she let them lead her out into the nearly empty parking lot. Hearing a low rumble of thunder in the distance as she felt the rain drops tickling along the back of her neck, she walked towards the front of the motel and watched as a single minivan drove past on the empty dark street.

Stopping as both Winston and Buster relived themselves on the grass, Oliveah raised her eyes and read the advertisement sign noticing a few letters missing.

"Free WIFI cable TV Truckers Rates Cont Breakfast Low Weekly Rates."

Pushing the small white buds into her ears, she chose the shuffle option as the opening notes of Neil Young's _Harvest Moon_ started to play…

_Come a little bit closer_

_Hear what I have to say_

_Just like children sleeping_

_We could dream this night away_

…

_Twenty minutes later…_

Pushing open the motel door, she was hit by the strong smell of the delivered Chinese food as she noticed the large spread across the table near the window. Feeling the dogs running past her leg as she tossed their leashes, she watched as Will took up the remote for the television and turned off the CNN ticker.

"What have we got?"

Hanging up her wet ball cap and sweater on the coat stand near the door as she double checked the lock, Oliveah kicked off her shoes and moved towards the table.

"Vegetable fried rice, egg rolls as requested, orange chicken, mixed veggies with bok choy and carrots, chicken noodle soup, you can save that for tomorrow and your wonton soup with pork" Will announced as he started to pull the lids off.

Grabbing the plastic container of soup, a plastic spoon and a disposable plate, she propped herself up against the wooden headboard of her bed before crossing her legs at the ankles. Sighing in relief as the lights in the room flickered quickly with the storm rumbling outside, Oliveah closed her eyes and breathed in the hot smell of the wontons and broth.

_(Flashback)_

_1 North Clinton Street, Baltimore, Maryland…_

"_I'm Andrew and this is Tyler. If you're up for it after you finish moving in, we can get Chinese if you don't have any crazy diet restrictions" the young man added as he pursed his lips. _

_Letting her Jansport bag fall off her shoulder and onto the floor of the foyer, Oliveah felt her lips twitching as she debated whether or not to make a joke to break the ice. _

_I just answered their ad on the Hopkins Classifieds, so let them see that you are not crazy_

"_I use to be a vegetarian when I was younger" she spoke, omitting the fact that her Mother and Stepfather had essentially made it that way by their refusal to buy even the most basic of groceries._

"_Well, we interviewed a guy here yesterday that was a vegan. He smelled of patchouli and wore the tightest black jeans that I have ever seen. I mean hey, I'm allowed to look but not touch, but hell, I didn't even want to look. Know what I mean?" Andrew sputtered as Tyler rolled his eyes. _

"_He also didn't have first and last month's rent" Tyler added as Andrew nodded his head. _

"_Yeah, that too. So, you eat meat? Drink? Have sex?"_

"_Yipe. All the above" she smiled as she shoved her hand into her jean pocket, feeling the sharp edge of the checque she had certified at the bank that morning for the exact amount of the townhouse's first and last month's rent. _

"_What are you studying?"_

"_Psychology. Masters Degree, so I mean if it works out, I'd be willing to stay here for the two years" she offered, watching the two young guys exchanging a smile. _

"_Daniel would like that. But it's ultimately our decision on who we want as a housemate."_

_Mentally counting the meagre amount of money that she had left resting in her bank account after certifying the checque, Oliveah sucked in a deep breath as she formed the sentence that she hoped would seal the deal and welcome her as their new housemate. _

"_I can spring for the Chinese tonight?"_

_Two hours later..._

"_Well, that's the last of it."_

_Setting down the cardboard box of books onto the floor, Andrew looked around the sparse bedroom furniture and clicked his tongue against the inside of his cheek. _

"_Minimalism. I've heard of this kind of movement" he spoke as Oliveah stiffened from standing in front of the closed closet door. _

"_Yeah. Since it's socially acceptable for a University student to move around every year, I figured, why not get it down to a science you know?" she breathed as Andrew let out a laugh. _

"_Not me. My shoe collection takes over our entire closet, including Tyler's side. But he doesn't complain, he knows better" he smiled as Oliveah moved over to the black garbage bag by the single bed. _

_One white comforter, one set of white sheets, one badly flat pillow_

"_If you need any more help unpacking, just give me a holler. Other than that, we've got a takeout menu for Wok&Roll over on Light Street so come down when you're ready. _

_One hour later…_

_Thumping down the wooden staircase as she slipped her bank card into her back pocket, Oliveah heard voices coming from the kitchen as she pulled out her folded cheque. _

"_Hey, here's my checque for first and last month's rent. I had it certified so you know I am not gonna skip out" she smiled as Tyler pushed the take-out menu across the wooden table towards her. _

"_Are you on a full scholarship to Hopkins?" he asked as she picked up the menu and scanned over the listed items, immediately settling on wonton soup and egg rolls. _

"_Partly, but I have a job as a TA for my Professor and he said as long as I am not a complete failure, I'll have it for my second year as well" she spoke, setting the menu down. _

_Forty-five minutes later…_

_Taking the brown paper bag from the teenaged delivery boy, Oliveah turned and handed it into the hands of Andrew as she pocketed her change. Watching him bring the bag up he took a big sniff and pronounced it heavenly. _

"_Yes…thank you take away!"_

_Taking a seat on the couch in the living room, Oliveah pulled off the lid to her soup container and breathed in the broth as she stared at the small cut pieces of green onion that floated against the sides. _

"_Cut open a wonton and tell me what you think it looks like."_

_Hearing Andrew's challenge, the twenty-one-year-old grabbed her plastic spoon and with minimal mess, separated the piece into two. _

"_It looks like a brain!" Andrew laughed as Tyler shook his head._

"_You're such a dink Andrew" he smiled as Oliveah caught his wink towards the still laughing student._

_Staring down at the piece of pork that now rested at the bottom of her bowl, Oliveah held her breath and said not a word. _

_I've seen the inside of a brain Andrew, and this doesn't come close…_

Staring down at the pork wontons that sat on the bottom of the container, Oliveah swallowed hard as she heard her late friend's laugh in her head.

_I miss you Andrew_

Slicing her spoon through a wonton, she stared at the meat inside before popping a half into her mouth with some broth.

_Mason murdered you, so I took his sight._

_I know he deserves to die, an eye for an eye, but all I could think about was you and Tyler_

_I know he will come after me one day_

Sipping another spoonful of hot broth into her mouth, Oliveah reached over for an egg roll and watched as Will broke one in half and fed each piece to the dogs as another rumble of thunder sounded from overhead.

_And if and when he does, I'll kill him with my bare hands_

_And Hannibal Lecter?_

_If and when he finds out where I am?_

"How is it?"

Giving a silent thumbs up, Oliveah swung her legs over the edge of the bed and padded back towards the table as she glanced down at the paper menu that had been stapled to the bag. Scanning her eyes over the items as she reached for the mixed vegetables, she felt her breath hitch in the back of her throat as she settled on a particular dish.

Szechuan Dishes

Number twenty-one

Human Beef

_That can't be right_

_It can't be_

Blinking her eyes quickly as she felt Will's hand on her shoulder, she looked down again and read the proper wording

"Szechuan Dishes. Number twenty-one. Hunan Beef."

"Will, what does that say?"

Letting his hand slide down her arm, he stepped aside and picked up the menu scanning his eyes over the options.

"You'll have to be more specific Oliveah…"

Closing her eyes, she gently touched her stomach as she felt the slight bubbles of movement within her flesh.

"Under the heading Szechuan Dishes, number twenty-one…"

Moving his eyes down the food listings, he found the item she was referring to and read it out loud.

"Hunan Beef?"

"When…when I saw it, all I could see was…human beef."

Hearing the words falling from her lips, Oliveah felt the bile in the back of her throat as she laid a hand on the strong kick of the baby. Leaning over as she gripped both hands on the edge of the table, she felt her child kick hard as Will laid a protective hand on her back.

"You're not a cannibal Oliveah. Neither of us are. You, me, your baby. It'll never taste human flesh or blood. It will never see Hannibal and we will keep it safe if anyone dares try to fuck with us" he began as Oliveah straightened up to her full five-foot eight height.

"He never considered himself a cannibal Will."

Narrowing his eyes as Oliveah whispered, he stepped up beside her and crunched the take-out menu into a ball with both his hands.

"Hannibal only considered the eating of human flesh as cannibalism, if he and the other person were equals. He saw himself as equal to no man or no woman" she added hearing another rumble of thunder from outside. "And, the baby kicked, when I said human beef."

Throwing a hand up onto her forehead, Will noticed the flush in her cheeks as he felt the heat rising on her skin.

"It was around Christmas last year when I found out that Hannibal was the Chesapeake Ripper. I knew he was the Ripper and a cannibal, yet I still ate the food. I wanted to eat the food Will…"

"Hannibal made all us do a lot of things Oliveah. A lot of it under duress, a lot of it under his watch and words. Sit on the bed, I'm going to get you a cold washcloth."

Focusing her eyes on Will's retreating back as he disappeared into the bathroom, Oliveah took a deep breath and brought her eyes up onto the ceiling.

_Why have I dragged you into all this Will?_

_I should have left you at the hospital_

_But I didn't_

_I need you Will_

Hearing Will coming back into the room, she reached out and took the wash cloth from between his fingers before pressing it gently against her flushed cheeks and forehead.

"You can't work yourself up Oliveah. We left Baltimore for a new life to start over fresh for both of our health. I don't intend to revisit what happened to me in the kitchen or what Hannibal put me through, I've been questioned and analyzed enough in my hospital bed over the last four months" he spat, rounding the corner of the bed for his own. Grabbing his backpack, he sat it on the corner of his bed as he pulled out a map and a highlighter.

"Why Gresham?"

Taking his glasses off as he tossed them onto the bedside table, Will raised his eyes and folded the map in half as he took up the highlighter to plan their route for the early morning hours.

"Oregon is on the other side of the country. Furthest west from eastern Baltimore. New climate, new town, new life. Twenty-four-minute drive to Portland…"

"Cold, rain and wet" Oliveah muttered as she rose to her feet. Moving to her own bag, she pulled out a black tank top and sleeping shorts along with her toiletry bag as she walked into the bathroom only to be followed by Winston and Buster.

"The dogs liked you from day one."

Hearing Will's voice as she scratched along the back of Winston's ear, Oliveah thought back to the day the SPCA had come to the farmhouse to take away all of the dogs, except two. Changing into her sleepwear, she brushed her teeth and splashed warm water over her face before taking the last of her gummy pre-natal vitamins.

"The house is one floor. Two bedrooms, hardwood floors, one large kitchen with a wood stove. The house relies on collected rainwater and has no electricity."

Hearing Will's words as she stepped out of the bathroom, Oliveah brushed her hand over the light switch just as the entire room went dark.

"Seriously?"

"It's the storm outside. Let me get my phone."

Spying the light from Will's phone along the carpet of the floor, she carefully made her way towards her single bed sighing as she sat down.

_God, I'm only six months…_

"The house, well, more like a cabin, belongs to a friend of mine who is retired from the Bureau. It was an old homesteading project and he says we can have it for as long as we need it."

_At least we have somewhere to live when we get to the other side of the country_

_Make it, somewhat of a home_

Slipping in between the sheets as lightening lit up behind the curtains of the window, she settled down and adjusted the second pillow beneath her knees as she started to drift off to sleep…

_(Flashback)_

_Standing at the threshold of the glass patio doors in the dining room, she threw a hand out against the wooden siding as she tried to steady her breathing. Feeling a thin trail of liquid running down her throat, she knew his bloody hand print would be all over her throat as she brought a finger up. Dragging her index finger against her throat, she looked down and saw the blood as she moved her eyes down onto Alana's bloody, twisted mouth. __Hearing the woman's blood curdling scream as she backed up and nearly stumbled into the dining room table, Oliveah turned around and shoved one of the chairs as it banged against the wall, sending a framed painting crashing to the floor. Staring at the glass around her feet, she was careful to step around the table as she heard the sounds of gasping coming from just around the corner of the kitchen. _

_Will…_

"_WILL!"_

_Rounding the corner, her eyes fell on a wide blood trail on the floor of something that had been dragged before she threw her eyes onto the still body of Will Graham. _

_Jack?_

_Nearly slipping in the blood trail as she noticed the door open to the pantry, Oliveah rounded the corner and watched as Jack Crawford flipped himself over onto his back pulling tightly on the tie he wound around his neck. _

"_Jack?"_

_Watching his eyes go wide as he tried to kick the door shut on her hand, Oliveah fell backwards with a groan before she scurried onto her hands and knees. _

"_JACK! LET ME HELP YOU!"_

_Hearing her scream echoing off the walls of the kitchen, she watched as the FBI Agent kicked the door close with force as Oliveah banged her firsts on the door. _

"_JACK!..."_

…

_The Next Morning…_

Slipping her pair of sunglasses on over the bridge of her nose, Oliveah sighed as she looked out her window to the blue early morning sky.

"Not a cloud in the sky" she spoke, reaching forward and opening the glove compartment. Pulling out a black Moleskine notebook and pen, she flipped it open to the next blank page and wrote the days date.

"What are you writing?"

"The baby is due in November, but I need to figure out what I am going to do for a job in Gresham" she answered. "Seeings how I have no health care or income to my name" she added, hearing Buster's whine from the backseat.

"How about you let me worry about the finances for now?"

Returning her eyes back onto her notebook, she brought the tip of her pen against the paper as she began to scribble.

_Homesteading_

_Gardening_

_Farming_

_How to cook on a wood stove_

_How to grow vegetables_

_What vegetables grow in Oregon?_

_Birth Doula_

"I'm eventually going to need to get a job Will and I sure as hell won't be flaunting around my degrees with my name on it. All it will take is one person to Google my name and Hopkins and anything related to Hannibal Lecter will be splashed all over the screen." Feeling the vehicle turning right as they drove directly into the sun, Oliveah brought the sun visor down directly in front of her as she reached for her bottle of water in the side of the door.

"I maybe would have thought, you'd be thinking of names"

_I know I should, but that's the last thing on my mind_

"Have you thought about where you are having your baby?"

"I haven't thought about any of this Will. Can you blame me?" Oliveah spat as she threw her eyes up onto his profile as he adjusted his glasses.

"Well, put it off as much as you'd like, but you're less than three months away and if it decides to come sooner, you'll be caught off guard without a plan. That would jeopardize both of your health's."

_I just can't bring myself to…_

"Once we get to Oregon, I'll start thinking about all of this." Feeling Will's hand settling briefly on top of hers, she looked down and watched as he rubbed the edge of his thumb against her index finger.

"You survived Oliveah. We both did, and we will continue to survive."

"I am anticipating to being reduced to a headline" she whispered, knowing full well that Freddie Lounds was most likely hiding out somewhere and keeping up with her website and the book she had been writing on Abigail Hobbs before the horror revelation that Hannibal Lecter was the Chesapeake Ripper.

_Now she'll start writing another book…_

_Solely on me_

Flipping over the page in her book, Oliveah felt her hand starting to shake as she began writing once more.

_Why am I keeping this baby when it's half of Hannibal?_

_People will know when it gets older that he is her Father_

_If I can barely deal with all of this, then how can…it?_

_Did I make the decision to keep you because Hannibal is the Father?_

_Am I using you as a desperate prop to get him to come back for me?_

…

**Thank you to VentablackValentina, Nirvana14, Casper6six6, Americanlatinajapanesegirl, Luce1993, and ViciousGingerLady for leaving reviews!**

**Please read, subscribe and review! I will be updating this story every other Saturday just like before with Part 1.**

_VentablackValentina – Happy to be back! Thanks for sticking around : )_

_Nirvana14 – I'm excited to continue writing this story! Thanks for sticking around!_

_Casper6six6 – Thank you for continuing to read!_

_Americanlatinajapansegirl - I'm the queen of cliff hangers remember : )_

_Luce1993 – I have many ideas for where the story is going. I know how the second part is going to end to lead into the third part, but it's the meat and potatoes I need to organize : )_

_ViciousGingerLady – Thank you for your kind words!_


	3. Chapter 3

I do not own anything related to Hannibal, either thru television, or written books. Everything belongs to Thomas Harris and Bryan Fuller. I do own all the created characters. I do not own any songs, or literature mentioned. They are included to enhance the written words. Please read, review, and enjoy!

**Chapter 3**

**Song(s): Nature Boy (Miles Davis)**

_October_

_2701 Strada Spatarului, Bucharest, Romania…_

_8:54pm_

Slowly rounding the bottle of Domaine Leflaive Batard Montrachet Grand Cru '92 in his hand as he watched the white wine re-filling his glass, Hannibal cleared his throat as he sat the bottle aside on the kitchen island. Moving his eyes onto the wooden side table near the double glass doors as he spied his sketch book and charcoal pencils, he moistened his lips as he took up the glass. Stepping out into the shaded courtyard garden, the Doctor sat his glass down beside the leg of a chair before re-entering the house crossing the faded red and beige checkered tiled floor. Flipping open the lid to the record player, he selected a dog-eared vinyl copy of Davis's _Blue Moods _from 1955 that had come with the villa and as he expertly placed the needle, he closed his eyes as the low sound of the trumpet and drums mixed together to produce one of the most soulful pieces he had ever heard in the history of jazz music.

Taking a seat in his chair as he balanced the sketch book on his knee, he reached down and took up his glass taking a generous sip of the cool crisp wine as a warm evening breeze moved along his smooth cheek.

"O seară atât de frumoasă în București."

Flipping open to a fresh page, he began to lightly draw the lines of the young woman's lips he had committed to memory from their first meeting. Shading in along the upper lip, Hannibal could almost taste her as he remembered the first time, she had thrown all caution to the wind and had kissed him…

_(Flashback)_

"_Good night Ms. Adler." _

_Keeping his hand on the Bentley, he could feel the young woman's hesitation as she took careful steps around the passenger door, stopping to stand mere inches from where he stood. _

_You are curious about me Oliveah, as I am you_

_Catching her hand moving out of the corner of his eye, he didn't stop her as he felt her pressing down on his pea coated shoulder as she angled her head slightly and pressed her lips against his. _

_How I would like to taste not just your lips._

_Slowly parting his lips in a show of acceptance to her gesture, Hannibal brought his hand up and gently traced along the young woman's ear as she pulled away._

_Too much_

_Too soon…_

Turning off the sink faucet as she stood in front of the cracked basin, Bedelia Du Maurier stared at her reflection in the mirror, wincing as she barely recognized herself. Running her long fingers through her newly dyed strains of hair, she separated a few and observed the darkness of the color as she reached for the blow dryer. She had agreed to change her appearance once they had arrived and settled in Bucharest, though she had been slightly weary of what changes to make.

_Start with the hair, then contacts of a different shade, then a slight accent?_

Drowning out her own voice as it went silent in her head with the loud sound of the blow dryer, she switched it to the highest setting as she moved the blower over the ends of her dark brown strains.

_Ten minutes later…_

Smoothing her hands over the cream-colored slip that she had pulled down over her hips, Bedelia grabbed the matching silk robe and pulled it around her shoulders before tying a knot.

"Keep him pleased and keep him engaged" she whispered to herself as she took a deep breath. Pulling open the heavy door of the closed bathroom, she made her way towards the kitchen as the lingering scents of tender figs and cognac infused sausage from the nights stuffed quail wafted around her. Hearing the low notes of the jazz vinyl coming to an end, Bedelia fixed her eyes hard on Hannibal's black sweatered back as she watched him sitting still in the chair just outside the double glass doors of the yard.

_He is sketching again_

_That is a good sign_

_For me_

Stepping over the threshold, she walked slowly and stopped behind Lecter, setting a light hand down on his right shoulder. Glancing down, she watched as he angled the tip of the pencil to shade in the darkness of the woman's eye as she heard the man's throat clear.

"Did you enjoy dinner?"

Slowly round the seated man, she felt his eyes glancing onto her profile as he was taking in her new appearance. Ignoring the slight plunging of her slip, Hannibal kept his eyes firm on the sketch as he crossed his legs.

"It was delicious, as always. The added hint of thyme really brought out the flavor of the fresh figs" Bedelia spoke softly as she noticed the resting wine glass. Bending down, she picked it up by the bottom of the stem and took a small sip as Hannibal turned the charcoal pencil onto its eraser.

"Brown hair does not suit you Bedelia" he spoke, nodding his head as she sat his glass back down.

_Tread carefully Bedelia_

_I require you only for the charade of a perfect marriage, but behind closed doors, it is an entirely different story_

"I thought, that I would act on your suggestions that I change my appearance" she began as Hannibal flipped to a new blank page. Tucking the pencil behind his left ear, he bent slightly and took up his wine, sipping gently as he focused his eyes on her attire.

"You are still sketching her again Hannibal. How long do you think you will continue to do that before you move on to someone who is truly worthy of your attentions?"

Pursing his lips at her words, Hannibal leaned forward and closed the book completely, letting it drop onto the stone walkway beneath his feet as he stared straight ahead and into to the overgrown shrubs along the metal barrier fence.

"Worthy of what attentions Bedelia? My hunger attentions? Or my aesthetic ones?" he questioned, slowly rising to his feet as he ignored his book.

"Both."

Walking back into the villa, the Doctor flipped the vinyl album over and delicately sat the needle to play as he watched Bedelia flipping through his sketches. Clicking his tongue against the inside of his cheek, Hannibal moved towards the kitchen and grabbed the half empty bottle of Montrachet before stepping back out into the cool evening air.

"Do you not have more pressing issues to attend to Bedelia?"

Hearing her name as she closed the book over her index finger, the woman frowned as she felt a deathly cold shiver running down her spine.

"What do you mean Hannibal?"

Angling his head as he returned to his chair, he bent down and took up the wine glass before re-filling it with about half an inch to spare from the rim.

"You still need to select which of your fingers you will be surrendering to me tonight in preparation for dinner's appetizer, tomorrow evening."

…

_5 SE Hurlburt Road, Gresham, Oregon…_

_7:03pm_

Feeling the swelling in her ankles as she leaned both her hands on the wooden kitchen counter, Oliveah swore under her breath as she made a mental note to research which foods were good for inducing labour the minute she stepped foot in the Portland Public Library.

"Can't you come early? Is that too much to ask for?" she breathed as high-pitched yipping caught her ears. Looking out the small window that led onto the backyard, she watched as Buster and Winston chased each other around a small log pile before a chewed up white frisbee flew against the metal siding of the wood shed. Pulling the ends of her wool cardigan over her eight-month-old bump, Oliveah swallowed hard as she watched Will walking towards the log pile carrying an axe. Sans shirt and with a heavy beard, he expertly swung the sharp end and split two logs perfectly down the middle as he felt eyes staring at him from inside the cabin.

"I once looked up at your farmhouse Will and said I could see myself living there" Oliveah whispered as she grabbed a glass and filled it up with water. Stepping out into the backyard, she felt the chill of the October air against her skin as she gave Will a small smile.

"Thought you could use something to drink."

Downing the water in three large gulps, Will kept the glass close to his chest as he watched Oliveah crossing her arms over her chest to ward off the chill of the evening air.

"Another couple of cords, and we'll be all set for winter. Next up will be to get the solar panels going before the baby arrives."

Feeling a hard kick against the inside of her stomach wall, Oliveah sucked in a deep breath as Will stepped forward.

"Still about a month to go" he spoke, lightly cupping her chin with the palm of his hand as Oliveah nodded her head. Turning to head back inside, the young expectant mother stared up at the small wooden cabin and ran her eyes over the glass of the kitchen window as she caught sight of smoke rising up from the chimney as she remembered the rest of her to do list.

_One, finishing hanging the pictures in the baby's room_

_Two, finish reading and making notes on __Ina May's Guide to Childbirth for birth doula paper_

_Three…_

"A hot bath. My birth doula is coming by tomorrow morning around ten."

Hearing Oliveah's words as he cleared his throat, Will held the axe steady in his hands as he nodded his head.

"You still want me to stay for that?" he questioned as Oliveah already knew her response.

"Yes."

Walking into her soft yellow painted bedroom that was slowly being turned into a nursery, Oliveah sat the kerosene lamp down on the second-hand refinished dresser as she ran her thumb along the smooth edge.

_You did a great job Will_

Looking down at the framed old Peter Rabbit drawings she had found at a flea market in Portland just after they had arrived, she shoved two nails between her lips and took up the hammer as she angled Jemima Puddle-Duck near the window.

"Gender safe with Peter Rabbit" she muttered as she ran her eyes over Jeremy Fisher and Mrs. Tiggy-Winkle. I haven't even thought of any names…" Taking a seat in the rocking chair facing the door, Oliveah sighed as she rubbed a hand over her stomach.

"If you are a boy…Dominic? If you are a girl…."

Hearing the whistle of the kettle coming from the kitchen, she groaned as she rose to her feet, shedding her cardigan on the seat.

…

_1:12am_

Staring up at the ceiling of the nursery as she listened to the distant sounds of an owl hooting in the yard, Oliveah tossed the white comforter off her bare legs as she pulled down the fabric of her black tank top that had risen up over her stomach. Shoving her feet into her slippers, she stepped out into the cool hallway and glanced at Will's half opened door. Hearing his light snores, she felt the pull to enter and close it behind her as she moved her eyes towards the dark kitchen.

_I can't do it William_

Padding down the wooden floorboards, she rubbed her hands together as she took up a box of matches and lit a trio of thick beeswax candles that lined the middle of the handcrafted table. Spying her black wrap hanging off the edge of the chair, she swung it around her bare shoulders as her eyes fell over a few bottles of Will's homemade mead honey wine. Opening one of the bottles infused with elderflowers and red clover blossoms, she poured two fingers of the sweet drink and took a long smell before taking a small sip….

"_Is there anything I can do to make you more comfortable?"_

Nearly fumbling her glass as she heard Hannibal's deep accented voice in her head, Oliveah pushed the glass away from her as she tried to steady her breathing.

"You're always with me Doctor Lecter. You'll always be with me" she added, touching her stomach as she felt the tiredness starting to creep up. Stretching her fingers out across the table, she laid her head gently against the crook of her arm as she closed her eyes.

_(Flashback)_

_Sitting in the back of the ambulance, Oliveah stared straight ahead as she watched the first stretcher being wheeled out into the street from the house, a sheet shielding the deceased body from the heavy rain. _

"_You have blood all over you, are you cut anywhere? Can you roll up your sleeves?"_

"_Don't touch me…"_

_Hearing the young woman's growl as the Paramedic ignored her threat, he reached out and started to pull at the fire blanket wrapped around her shoulders as she threw a palm out, smacking directly into his nose. _

"_**I SAID DON'T FUCKING TOUCH ME!"**_

"_Leave her for the hospital. I'm sure she'll survive, unlike the others" a curt voice spoke out from the corner of the open door as Oliveah blinked her eyes. Feeling hard cold metal slamming down against her wrist, she said not a word as a uniformed officer handcuffed her to a bar in the back of the ambulance._

"_Is Agent Crawford alive?"_

_Hearing the tall red headed woman's question to another officer as she narrowed her eyes, Oliveah breathed in deeply as she moved a hand slowly onto her concealed tiny bump. _

_I am being arrested_

…

**Thank you to Fandomloveall, Soarocks, Ventablackvalentina, Foxtrotoscar, DandelionDani, and Americanlatinajapanesegirl for leaving reviews!**

Please read, subscribe and review! I will be updating this story every other Saturday just like before with Part 1.

I do plan for chapters to be longer than this in the future.

**P.S **Romanian translations:

"O seară atât de frumoasă în București" = "Such a beautiful evening in Bucharest"

_**Americanlatinajapanesegirl – Thank you for taking the time to leave a review!**_

_**DandelionDani – Thanks for your review!**_

_**Foxtrotoscar – Hannibal has arrived!**_

_**Ventablackvalentina – Thanks for reading!**_

_**Soarocks – I am excited to finally be writing Part 2!**_

_**Fandomloveall – I have so many ideas for where I am going to take this second part. Part 3 I already have mostly figured out. Thanks for reviewing!**_


	4. Chapter 4

I do not own anything related to Hannibal, either thru television, or written books. Everything belongs to Thomas Harris and Bryan Fuller. I do own all the created characters. I do not own any songs, or literature mentioned. They are included to enhance the written words. Please read, review, and enjoy!

**Chapter 4**

**Song(s): Pale September (Fiona Apple)**

_November 19__th_

_5 SE Hurlburt Road, Gresham, Oregon…_

_9:23pm_

_Three days until my due date_

Staring out of the kitchen window, Oliveah sighed as she watched the heavy snowflakes cascade down and onto the ground as her ears picked up on the growing whistle of the kettle.

_Snow storm warning in effect since yesterday_

_Glad to see it held off a day to give us a chance to batten down the hatches_

Moving across the wooden floor boards, she grabbed a hand towel and removed the stainless-steel kettle before filling up a chipped mug to the brim, watching the pieces of ginger bobbing against the porcelain sides. Breathing in deeply, Oliveah closed her eyes and savored the powerful smell as she bent over slightly feeling the rising steam against her face. Hearing the crack of the logs in the fireplace, she took up her cup and sat it gently on the floor of the open living room, pushing the blankets and pillows away with her foot. Furniture had become too uncomfortable to sit on, and the only relief she had found in the last three weeks, had been to stack up the throw pillows against her back before shoving a rolled-up blanket under her right hip.

"You'd better be, not even one day late" she spat, settling down amongst the other blankets as Winston pushed his cold wet nose against her arm.

"You're cold too buddy? Or just cuddles?"

Pulling the edge of the blanket up, she felt Winston settle in beside her just as the wooden door blew open. Watching Will Graham shaking off his gloves and removing his snow-covered toque, she caught the rosiness of his cheeks as Buster jumped up from his blanket to snap at the falling clumps of snow.

"That's definitely not going to stop overnight" he breathed, shaking off his plaid lumberjack sweater before moving towards the fireplace. Spreading the garment out on the drying rack, he tossed his toque on the last free peg before running his hands through his hair.

"How are you feeling?"

Wincing as she rubbed along the tight skin of her bump beneath the blanket, Oliveah breathed out deeply as she reached for her tea.

"Like tonight would be the night if any for me to suddenly go into labor."

"Isn't that an old wives' tale? Associating weather phenomenon with mood behavior and birthing?"

_I wouldn't know_

Hearing the wind picking up outside, she could feel a slight coolness in the room through the small cracks in the wooden log siding as she couldn't help but shiver.

Moving towards the healthy stack of split logs, Will built the fire back up before brushing his hands against the sides of his jeans.

"There is hot water in the kettle if you want tea?"

Watching Will striking a long match beside the handcrafted wooden table, she watched as he neared the flame against the wicks of the three large beeswax candles that sat in the middle of the wood.

"Anticipating a power outage?" she joked as she remembered back to a similar stormy environment that found them sitting cross legged on her bedroom floor in the dark eating fried nuggets out of a bowel.

"Funny."

Making himself a cup of instant coffee, Will walked over the pile of blankets as he took a seat beside Oliveah. Feeling the young woman nestling in against his side, he raised his arm and wrapped it around her shoulders before rubbing the edge of his thumb against her arm. Placing a soft kiss against the side of her head, he felt her melting against him as a pop sounded from the logs in the fire.

"Still no names?"

"You know, I never really understood how someone could decide on a name for a child before even seeing it, meeting it" Oliveah muttered as she rubbed her stomach.

"You think something will just come to you?"

_I hope something will…_

…

_November 20__th_

_1:19am_

Staring up at the dark ceiling of the nursery from her single bed in the corner, Oliveah moved her eyes around the framed children's pictures as she heard the power of the wind slamming against the wall of the room.

Rising slowly to her feet, she breathed out deeply as she felt slight cramping along her pelvic region.

"Almost time little baby…almost time."

_Almost time to meet you_

_What kind of temperament are you going to have? _

_Are you going to look like him?_

_Are you going to look like me?_

Feeling the cold floorboards beneath her feet, she grabbed her wool cardigan and swung it over her shoulders as the ends fell to just above the hem of her cream coloured night gown. Pulling open the bedroom door, she softly padded into the living room and stacked up three new logs amongst the dying flames. Rubbing her stomach, she felt a sudden thirst for milk and as she moved across the floor to the small cold storage box that held their meagre supplies of dairy, she slammed the palm of her hand down against the table top before letting out a deep growl followed by a guttural scream.

Shutting her eyes tightly as she felt another searing pain in her lower abdomen, Oliveah felt another scream in the back of her throat as she fell onto her knees.

"**WILL!"**

Moving her hand down against her thigh, Oliveah winced as she felt a sudden wetness running down the inside of her thigh. Wiping her fingers against her skin, she brought them up towards her eyes and spied the clear liquid dripping.

_My water broke_

"**WILL! PLEASE!"**

Hearing the banging of Will's bedroom door slamming against the wall, Oliveah screwed her eyes shut tightly as she heard the rushing of footsteps across the floorboards. Glancing upwards through her tear-soaked eyes, she stared up into Will's face as she noticed his shirtless chest and half done up jeans.

"Oliveah?"

…

_Three hours later…_

Leaning her forearms painfully over the side of the bathtub, Oliveah clutched at the white hand towel between her hands as she felt the sharp pain radiating deep down and over her entire body.

_Contractions_

_You are coming baby…_

Breathing in deeply as she tried to spread her thighs in the lukewarm water to take the pain out of her lower back, Oliveah closed her eyes as she let out another long cry.

_It's not like women haven't had to birth their own babies before_

"Jesus, the storm has knocked everything out. Power, cell service, nothing. I can't get a call out to the midwife or your doula" Will spoke nervously as he slammed his mobile phone down onto the basin edge of the sink.

_Tonight, would be the night the baby would come_

_During a storm_

"What day is it?"

Hearing Oliveah's panting breath as he frowned at her unexpected question, Will looked down at his watch and rubbed at his exhausted eyes.

"It's the twentieth."

_No_

_No, little baby you are early_

_Hannibal's birthday isn't until the twenty-second_

Letting out another scream as she pushed her breath out hard, she felt like pushing and fainting at the same time as she realized her child would not share the same birthday as it's cannibalistic father.

_But that is a good thing_

_A good start, right?_

Feeling the warmth of Will's hands cupping her cheeks, she opened her eyes and could barely make out Will's eyes as his entire face made her feel dizzy. Kneeling down in front of her, he moved his hands out over her shoulders and kneaded her skin hard as the high shrill of the kettle whistle sounded from the woodstove.

"More hot water, I'll be back."

Feeling Will's lips against the side of her temple, Oliveah felt the tears falling from her closed eyes and into the water of the tub as she heard him walking away.

_What did you read Oliveah?_

_What did Stella tell you about birthing positions?_

_About water births?"_

Feeling another contraction building up, the young mother to be groaned deeply as she moved a hand between her thighs.

_Had I left America with Hannibal; he would be here instead of Will. Guiding me, urging me to push, telling me to hold steady_

Tasting her tears as they ran down her cheeks, Oliveah hear Will's footsteps as he re-entered the bathroom carrying a jug of half hot half cold water, all the hand towels, and three large beeswax candles.

"Another contraction is coming…" she breathed as the young man got down on his knees. Settling in front of her, he felt Oliveah's fingers strongly gripping his bare forearms as she lowered her head and fought through the pain with half steady breaths.

"**JESUS!"**

_This isn't how it was supposed to be_

_I was supposed to have a midwife _

_What if something goes wrong?_

"You're doing so good Oliveah, come on, so good…." Will soothed as Oliveah buried her face against his t-shirted shoulder. Letting out another scream as she felt Will holding her tightly, she couldn't imagine the amount of her pain coming close to anything he experienced at Hannibal's hand or guidance.

_You've suffered Will_

_Yet you have lived through it_

Bearing down as she felt another contraction quickly approaching, Oliveah looked down into the water around her and moved her hand between her thighs as she felt her breathing becoming rapid.

"I feel it…**I FEEL IT! WILL!**"

Quickly cupping the sides of her face with his wet hands, Will steadied her eyes with his as he felt his lips twitching.

"You are so beautiful Oliveah. You can do this, one push, one push…"

Sitting up on her hunches, Oliveah kept a hand down between her thighs as she held her breath and pushed hard. Feeling a sudden rush against her hand, she opened her eyes and immediately scooped the small naked infant up from the bloody water, holding it tightly against her chest.

"**OLIVEAH!"**

Letting out the breath she had been holding, she could feel the weight of the quiet child against her chest as Will reached forward and pressed his lips hard against hers.

"Open your eyes, and meet your daughter Oliveah" he breathed against her ear as she felt her breathing hitch.

_Daughter_

_I have a daughter_

Hearing a low cry from the infant against her chest, she slowly opened her eyes and immediately noticed sparse dark brown hair.

_She has dark brown hair_

_Just like Hannibal_

Feeling the warmth of a small blanket against the back of her hands, Oliveah moved her fingers as Will started to gently wipe off the child. Bringing a single finger up, she lightly touched the tip of the child's ear as it nuzzled its face against her sternum. Wrapping the blanket around the baby's body, Oliveah felt her stomach lurch as the infant started to cry.

_Cry little baby cry_

_Let it all out_

Pulling the child back from her chest, Oliveah stared into her daughter's wrinkled face and felt more tears pooling in her eyes.

_I am a mother_

…

_November 21st_

_2701 Strada Spatarului Bucharest, Romania…_

_11:58pm_

Standing on the balcony outside the master bedroom of the half run down villa, Hannibal brought the rim of his wine glass up against his lips as he took a deep sip of the merlot. Hearing the distant beeps of car horns from the city center, he let out a low sigh as he felt the beginnings of rain drops that had not been forecasted for that day's weather.

"Once upon a time…"

Whispering into the night as he stared up into the cloudy midnight sky, his ears picked up on the light shuffling of feet coming from the bedroom behind him. Looking down to his wrist watch, he took in a deep breath as he watched the minute hand move slightly off the number twelve.

"Happy birthday Hannibal,"

Ignoring Bedelia's wishes as he felt her coming to stand on his left side, he felt her arm grazing his as she pulled her bathrobe tighter around her waist.

"I've never celebrated birthdays. Not since I was a child" he spoke as Bedelia seized on the opportunity to open communication.

"Birthdays are reminders that we are continually aging every day. They make us think of the year before. Some think of regrets, some think of lost time, some wish to relive those past three hundred and sixty-five days. Some, are just…happy to be older" she added, catching a flash of lightening in the distance.

"Are you happy, Hannibal?"

"Happiness is a fleeting emotion Bedelia. No man or woman is completely…happy" he spoke, hearing a rumble of thunder as it spread out over the sky above the city.

_Today is your due date Oliveah. Though this being your first pregnancy, you very well may be late _

Tightening his grip along the iron wrought railing of the balcony, the cannibal raised his eyes and caught sight of the moon's edge peeking out from behind a dark cloud.

_But I know, you have delivered our child_

…

_November 23__rd_

_5 SE Hurlburt Road, Gresham, Oregon…_

Poking through a box of children's books that her birth doula had brought over the day after the storm, Oliveah sighed as she heard Winston's whimper from his spot on the rug beside the cradle.

"Shhh Winston…"

Moving towards the animal, she reached down and scratched behind his tan colored ear before peering at the sleeping face of her still unnamed daughter.

_Nothing is coming to mind for you_

Reaching a finger out, Oliveah lightly brushed the back of her thumb along the baby's still lower lip as she watched the child's closed eyes flutter with deep sleep.

_I have no experience with babies or children, so I apologize in advance for my oversights_

"Like, giving you a name," she muttered, watched the baby's eyes fluttering open as it clenched its tiny fingers into fists.

"Good afternoon baby girl, you hungry?"

Carefully picking her daughter up as she cradled her soft head, she moved towards the hand built wooden rocking chair and took a seat. Freeing herself from her tank top, she felt the baby latch with ease before resting her head and closing her eyes.

"She's beautiful Oliveah,"

Hearing Will's whisper from the open doorway, she hummed as he stepped up beside the chair, reaching out and tenderly touching the baby's finger nails with the tip of his index finger.

"She's half of Hannibal."

"She, is _ours_ Oliveah."

Nodding her head, she felt him leave her side and watched as he started to look through the few books she had managed to stack on the edge of the wooden dresser. Pulling out a dog-eared copy of a hardcover book that had seen better days, Will flipped it open and started to read the first few words as Oliveah froze in the rocking chair.

"In an old house in Paris that was covered with vines, lived twelve little girls in two straight lines…"

_(Flashback)_

_Sheppard Public School, 1430 Sheppard Ave W, North York, Toronto…_

"_Have you chosen your library book yet?"_

_Hearing the voice of her teacher standing directly behind her, eight-year-old Oliveah wrung her hands together as she stared at the shelf directly in front of her. _

_Too many choices_

"_I can't decide Miss. Lem."_

_Feeling the woman's hand settling on her shoulder, Oliveah ignored the snickers of laugher from a few of her classmates as she kept her eyes focused on the rows of books. _

"_What are you interested in Oliveah? Have you read Pippi Longstocking? Or Swiss Family Robinson?"_

_Shaking her head, no Oliveah angled her eyes and caught sight of a sketched Eiffel Tower amongst tall green trees. Moving her eyes down, she counted eleven little cartoon girls dressed in bright yellow before focusing on a singled out little girl with red hair peeking out from beneath her yellow hat._

"_Well, what does your mother read to you?"_

_Ignoring her teacher's question, she reached her fingers out and picked up the book, gesturing that this was her pick._

"_Madeline. Very good choice Oliveah. I hope you'll like it…"_

"In two straight lines they broke their bread and brushed their teeth and went to bed. They left the house at half past nine, in two straight lines in rain or shine…"

Turning around as he heard Oliveah speaking, Will held the book steady in his hand as he watched her look down and into the face of her now slumbering three-day old daughter.

"The smallest one, was Madeline."

…

**Thank you to DandelionDani, Foxtrotscar, Americanlatinajapansegirl, Mara-Lethe for leaving reviews!**

**Please read, subscribe and review! I will be updating this story every other Saturday just like before with Part 1.**

**P.S. Madeline is owned by Ludwig Bemelmans. I own nothing, and included his written words with no intention of copyright. Please enjoy!**

_**DandelionDani – I thought about that! Thanks for reading!**_

_**Foxtrotoscar – The wait is over for baby Lecter! I always knew I wanted it to be a girl. Names on the other hand, were hard!**_

_**Americanlatinajapanesegirl – Thanks for reviewing and reading!**_

_**Mara-Lethe – First, congrats on expecting! I know nothing about pregnancies, so I was having to watch some youtube videos and googling some things in order to properly describe. I've probably made Oliveah's birth experience sound easy!**_


	5. Chapter 5

I do not own anything related to Hannibal, either thru television, or written books. Everything belongs to Thomas Harris and Bryan Fuller. I do own all the created characters. I do not own any songs, or literature mentioned. They are included to enhance the written words. Please read, review, and enjoy!

**Chapter 5**

**Song(s): If I Was To Call (Fjord)**

_Four Years Later…_

_Mesange Fromagerie, Intrarea Tudor Stefan, nr 9, Bucharest, Romania…_

Hearing the tiny ding of the antique silver bell just above her head, Bedelia pulled off her sunglasses and gently folded them against the front of her black blouse. Slipping the handle of her designer purse along her inner arm, she stepped up to the glass display case and moved her eyes over the multitude of expensive cheeses.

_To please Hannibal Lecter_

_All to please him and appease him_

Reaching into her purse, she gripped the zipper with her thumb and forefinger, the only digits remaining on her right hand as a tired but professional sounding voice spoke over the glass.

"Ce v-ar plăcea Madame?"

Hearing the light chatter from a handsome young couple seated at a table for two near the window, she offered a weak smile before organizing the half fluent sentence along her lips.

"Brânză de burduf, nasal, cașcaval vă rog." Catching the man's nod as he worked with her lack of fluency, she kept her eyes down on the glass as she heard the woman seated behind her suggest to her male companion that they retire to her flat for an early night in. Checking the time on her watch, she counted at least one more hour of "freedom" before she would be collected by Hannibal and escorted back to her own personal house of hell.

…

_Le Bistort Francais, __Str. Nicolae Golescu, nr. 18, Bucharest, Romania_

Letting the fingertips of his left-hand rest on the glass of the wine steam, Hannibal gently turned the page of the three-week-old New York Times newspaper and with a bored sigh, pushed it away across the table setting. Glancing down at his wrist watch, the cannibalistic Doctor noted the seven o'clock hour and moistened his lips as his ears picked up on the ringing bells of the Biserica Alba in the far distance of the city.

_I would have taken you there Oliveah_

_In fact, I would have married you there amongst candlelight_

Breathing in the strong designer perfume of the young blonde waitress that stood just behind his shoulder, Hannibal moved his hand as she reached down to lift his glass.

"Mai doriți un pahar, domnule?"

Giving a slight wave with his fingers, he raised his eyes and took in the blush on her cheeks as she smiled.

"Nu vă mulțumesc."

Pushing his chair back as he rose to his feet, Hannibal towered over the young woman as she took a nervous step backwards.

"Pot să vă dau numărul meu de telefon, domnule?"

Narrowing his dark eyes, Hannibal simply shook his head no as the young woman, who had to be no more than a late teen, was left to recover her forward embarrassment. Walking out of the restaurant, he paused on the top step and slipped his sunglasses on over the bridge of his nose. Stepping aside for an older woman, he reached for the wooden door handle and pulled it open.

"Buna seara," he spoke as the woman gave him a smile.

"Buna seara tânăr…"

Walking through the evening Piaţa Obor market, Bedelia bent over a small basket of tourist trinkets labelled with the Romanian flag as her eyes caught sight of a caddy full of hand illustrated postcards showcasing the Snagov Monastery, the National Art Museum, and Herăstrău Park.

_In four years, I've never tried to leave. Never tried to escape, never tried to walk out the chateau door in the middle of the night _she noted, looking down to her gloved hand as she flexed her remaining fingers.

_He's going to eventually eat me piece by piece_

Feeling her throat go instantly dry, she grabbed three square identical cards depicting the tall white columns of the Monastery as she dug around the bottom of her purse for a ten Lei bank note.

_But will I stick around long enough for him to make a meal out of me?_

"Bună seara Madame,"

Awkwardly accepting her change, Bedelia quickly slipped the three postcards into the side pocket of her deep purple peacoat when she caught sight of a uniformed police officer out of the corner of her eye. Lowering her eyes down and onto the holstered weapon that rested on his hip, a flurry of thoughts ran through her head as she stared.

_So close_

_You could throw yourself at him_

_Reach for his gun_

_Set the stage for your own death or arrest?_

_Either way_

_You'd be taken away from Hannibal Lecter…_

Focusing his dark eyes on the woman's purple coated back, the Doctor watched as she stood frozen in place as market pedestrians moved around her without touch.

_What has captured your attentions Bedelia?_

Angling his body slightly as he smoothed down the hitched up black sleeve of his sweater, Hannibal carefully scanned his eyes forward before spying the armed police officer no less than ten feet away from Bedelia's stone like figure.

_Will you risk it Bedelia?_

_Will you risk your freedom and your life?_

Slowing down in his steps, the Doctor turned his attentions towards a market stall selling small tangerines and as he pulled out a few coins, he glanced down and stared into the face of small child, clutching at her mother's heavy skirt before bringing up the head of a withered old teddy bear up against her cheek. Staring into the young child's brown eyes, he held out a piece of fruit as the little girl offered a shy smile.

"Vă mulţumesc."

Feeling her small fingers briefly against his, he pulled back and straightened up as she followed her mother back into the crowded market of tourists, locals, and Romanian gypsy vendors. Turning back around, he spied Bedelia's coat slowly weaving in and out of the thinning crowd as he rounded her right and came to stand just behind her shoulder. Leaning in close, he could smell her faint perfume as he parted his lips to whisper.

"A pleasant night for a stroll, don't you think Doctor?"

Shivering as she felt Hannibal's warm breath against her ear, Bedelia felt the lightest touch of his lips against her lower lobe as she clutched her remaining fingers on her right hand around the handle of the brown deli bag.

"Very smart decision you made Bedelia" he spoke, taking her arm and looping it through his as they turned and started to walk in the opposite direction towards the chateau on Strada Spatarului.

_I've kept myself alive with you for four years now Hannibal_

Matching her footsteps with his as they walked along the treed pathway, Bedelia listened to the rushing of cars and buses as Hannibal took up the bag she was carrying.

"What did you buy this evening?"

Feeling the weight of the postcards in her coat pocket, Bedelia mentally cursed herself in forgetting a packet of stamps as she angled her head up towards Hannibal with a small smile.

"Brânză de burduf, Năsal, and some Cașcaval."

Nodding his head as she spoke of the variety of local Romanian cheeses that would make up their after-dinner meal, Hannibal heard the clinking of the Crâmpoșie Selecționată bottles at his side as a warm breeze blew around them.

"Are you still happy here Hannibal?"

Perking his ears up at Bedelia's words, the cannibal glanced up towards the cloudless sky before checking his watch.

_Breakfast time in Baltimore_

Feeling the palm of Bedelia's hand squeezing his forearm, his mind flashed quickly to a time he had seen Oliveah standing newly pregnant in his bedroom, naked, and caressing the tips of her fingers along the curve of her belly.

_You have something that belongs to me Oliveah_

…

_5 SE Hurlburt Road, Gresham, Oregon…_

_9:12am_

Adjusting her weight on her knees as she felt herself sinking into the rich dark soil, twenty-eight-year-old Oliveah Adler swore under her breath as she turned over a half-eaten yellow zucchini.

"God damn rabbits!"

Picking through the rest of the zucchinis, she grabbed the last three off the plants and gently laid them in the basket as she heard the excited yips and barks of Winston growing strong from around the side of the small log house. Resting back on her knees, she shielded her eyes as she watched her four-year-old daughter quickly rounding the corner of the wood pile, dancing around with a stick as Winston jumped eager for his prize.

"Momma look!"

"Madeline! Stop teasing Winston!"

Hearing her mother's voice as she stopped twirling around on the heels of her yellow rainboots, the young child lowered the stick in her hand and smiled widely as the jaws of the canine clamped down, breaking the branch cleanly in half as if it were nothing. Loading up the last straw basket with the garden's produce, Oliveah glanced over the red tomatoes, yellow zucchini, cucumbers, and lettuce that would make up the bulk of her stall at the Portland Farmers Market.

"Momma, can I come with you?"

Sliding the dirty basket towards the back end of the red pickup truck against three others which contained eggs and homemade bread, Oliveah slowly stood back and looked down into the face of her daughter.

_Damn, I didn't get a look in at all_

Staring down into her daughter's dark brown eyes, she watched as her child narrowed her eyes and angled her head as Oliveah swallowed hard.

_She has your eyes Hannibal_

_Your lips_

_Your mannerisms_

_You use to look at me like that_

"You promised I could go with you."

Pushing up the gate of the truck, Oliveah wiped the palms of her hands against the sides of her jeans as she stared down into Madeline's face.

"Not today Maddie." Catching her daughter's pout as she took off running once more with Winston and Buster closing in behind her, Oliveah watched as the three disappeared around the corner of the wooden house as she glanced at all the changes and additions Will had made over the years.

Barrels to collect rain water. Compost, full garden in the backyard, wood burning fireplace, solar panels.

All sustainable.

Nearly one hundred percent off grid.

Glancing down at her watch, she swore under her breath at the late hour as she knew her usual space to set up her stall would surely be gone.

"Are you staying at the market til six?"

Hearing Will's voice from her left, Oliveah took in a deep breath as she watched him push a wheelbarrow full of split logs across the lawn.

"Just til five. I promised Becca I'd stop by to check in on her" she replied, snapping her fingers together as she remembered her Doula bag that was still sitting on the kitchen table. Crossing the lawn, she took the stairs by two before pushing open the door and spying the bag slumped down against the chair. Hearing the thumps of Will's footsteps behind her, she felt the warmth of his hand against her shoulder as she felt a shiver running down her spine. In the entire four years they had been living under the same roof, neither had made a move towards the other. Whether it was out of respect for one another or the situation and major players that had initially brought them together…

"Coho salmon, baby potatoes, and carrots for dinner when you return."

Feeling his strong fingers gently squeezing her shoulder, Oliveah tightened her grip on the bag strap as she felt the heat rising in her cheeks.

_Four years since any physical contact… _

"Just a reminder, I'll be heading to Rogue River Thursday until Saturday for fishing. This should be the second last if not the last trip to gut and prepare for the freezer before fall" Will spoke as he moved alongside her.

_I had forgotten about that_

"Looks like Maddie will get her wish to come with me on Saturday to the farmer's market." Hearing the loud barks of the dogs growing near, both Oliveah and Will turned around just as Maddie excitedly entered the kitchen, holding a dead brown bunny between her hands.

"Maddie…"

"Look Momma!"

Feeling her throat go instantly dry as she saw blood drip from between her daughter's fingers and onto the wooden floorboards at her booted feet, Oliveah dashed forward quickly and ripped the animal out of her hands before throwing it roughly out the door and into the yard. Roughly grabbing her daughter's arm, Oliveah wrenched the child towards her and felt the anger screaming through her throat.

"**DID YOU KILL THAT ANIMAL?!"**

Shaking her head as tears started to fall from her eyes, Madeline cried out in pain as Will pulled Oliveah back.

"**OLIVEAH!"**

Blinking quickly as Will screamed in her ear, she released her painful grip on Maddie's arm and watched as the small child scurried around to Will, grabbing his pant leg as it became soaked with her tears.

"I…shit…"

Striding out the open door, Oliveah thumped down the steps and ripped open the passenger door of the truck, tossing her Doula bag onto the seat. Moving around the bumper, she ripped open her own door and slammed it shut before letting out a scream.

_I lost it on her, my own daughter_

_Was I really questioning a four-year-old if she killed a rabbit?_

_What was I going to ask next, "Did you enjoy it Madeline?"_

Throwing the truck into gear, Oliveah kept her eyes firmly on the road ahead as she slammed a hand down against the dashboard.

…

_Five hours later…_

"She's nothing like Hannibal Oliveah."

Hearing Will's soothe at her side as they walked through a muddy puddle in the middle of the ploughed field, Oliveah kept her hands firmly shoved into her jeans pockets as she offered nothing in return.

"Madeline has displayed no violent tendencies, no desires to hurt anyone, or anything, and she's forever chasing Winston and Buster around" he continued to speak as a crow flew out of a tree in the distance. Hearing her daughter's laughter as she bumped her shoulder against Will's arm, Oliveah finally let out a long sigh as she watched the child crouching down near a bunch of yellow dandelions. Stopping right beside her, she leaned down and moved a hand out against a yellow head.

"Can we pick some?"

Arching an eyebrow, Oliveah shook her head as she pulled her hand back.

"They're weeds Maddie, not flowers."

"But they are pretty."

_Children have imagination_

"Go ahead then, we can put them on the kitchen table" she spoke, catching her daughter's toothy smile as she mentally scored herself a win.

_I've been a Mother now for four years, yet…I still don't really feel a solid connection to her_

_Would I feel more of an attachment if you were here Hannibal? Fulfilling your role as her Father?_

Standing up slowly, Oliveah placed her hands against the small of her back and stretched, looking up into the blue cloudless sky as she felt the warmth of the approaching evening on her upturned face. Hearing Will's instruction to hold the bundle of dandelion's tightly in the palm of her hand, Oliveah watched as the child clutched at his hand as they turned back around towards the small house in the distance.

_What am I going to do for the rest of my life?_

_Live with Will?_

_Branch out on my own with Maddie in another state?_

Catching Will's chuckle as he moved his hand protectively against Madeline's shoulder, she watched the unshakeable bond the two had developed and immediately threw her last idea out the window.

_I could never take her away from you Will_

Crunching up the driveway Oliveah narrowed her eyes as she spied an old school white Volkswagen Beetle parked up the road and as she rounded the wooden mailbox, she caught sight of the driver's side door slowly pushing open.

_There haven't been any reporters around here in three years_

"Will, please take Madeline inside."

Squaring her shoulders as she watched a small woman dressed in a white sundress exit the vehicle, Oliveah prepared to unleash one hell of a verbal tirade at whoever thought it was a good idea to track down the "Cannibal's Student Lover."

"You know, I really didn't think that I would ever be able to find you Oliveah; you and Will Graham."

_That voice…_

Spying a few wisps of blonde hair peeking out from beneath the woman's hat, Oliveah stared down and into the woman's face, facing herself in her reflection from her sunglasses.

"You really don't remember me, do you?"

"No, I don't and if you don't leave right now…"

"I'm surprised that you don't remember me, but then I guess, I should be happy that my appearance threw you off. If it worked for you, then it may work for Hannibal Lecter."

Watching the woman reaching up to her face, Oliveah watched as her fingers pulled away the black sunglasses, revealing a set of narrow centered blue eyes and a hawk like nose.

_Fredericka Lounds_

Balling up her hands into tight fists, it took all her might and patience to not lunge forward and physically attack the petite tabloid "Journalist" that stood before her, on her property.

"Get…the fuck out of here right now Lounds…"

Hearing the young woman's growl, Freddie grinned as she took a step backwards, holding her hands up in a show of defense.

"I understand that you may be pissed at me for extensively covering your cannibal boyfriend's activities and his fleeing out of the country, but you know that I had a responsibility as a Journalist to the public. You know how much I can command for a prime interview Oliveah. You also know that I can get you quite a tidy sum for your side of the story on Doctor Lecter. I mean Jesus, don't you ever wonder where he is, what's he's doing? If he might ever plan a return to America?"

Feeling a cold shiver running down her spine at Freddie's words, Oliveah stood fast as she heard Winston and Buster barking inside the house.

_If he might ever plan returning to America…_

_It's been just over four years now and he has yet to show his face_

_But would he?_

"You are fucking unbelievable! You are a pathetic Journalist and the reason your book on Abigail Hobbs did so poorly was because it was all full of disgusting lies and farfetched theories. Shit no one believed." Watching her words hit home, Oliveah took a menacing step forward and was pleased to see the surprise in Freddie's eyes.

"But _you_ do believe that Abigail was in on her father's crimes all the while. Did she tell you? Did she admit her crimes to you Oliveah? Did you run to Hannibal and tell him all about it?"

"**YOU ARE TRESSPASSING ON PRIVATE PROPERTY LOUNDS!" **

Throwing her eyes over her shoulder, Oliveah mentally thanked the high heavens for Will's presence as he held his unloaded shotgun tenderly between his arms.

Folding her arms over her chest, Freddie set her chin hard as she looked down to Oliveah's dirty boots.

"_Both_ of you must wonder every night if he is coming back."

_Is she implying that Will and I are sleeping together?_

Hearing the excited barks of the dogs growing closer, Oliveah felt her blood run cold as she heard Madeline's screams of excitement as she kicked a red rubber ball towards the two women.

"He's out there Oliveah, and if I can find you this easily, he could too. Don't you wonder every second if he is going to come back for you?" Lowering her eyes down onto the face of the small child that half hid behind Oliveah, Lounds nearly did a double take as her mouth fell open.

"Oh my God."

Hearing her whisper, Oliveah followed her eyes as she made the connection.

_Don't you dare Freddie Lounds_

"She is his daughter, isn't she? Hannibal Lecter is her father…" Lounds breathed as Oliveah felt her heart beating hard in her chest. "Those dark eyes…that's why he didn't kill you" Freddie spoke as she took a step backwards. "You were pregnant and he knew!"

Lunging forward, Oliveah tightly gripped Freddie's throat with a single hand as she stared down into the woman's face.

"If you ever…**EVER**…write anything about her, I will kill you. I will rip your fucking heart out with my bare hands and I will shove it piece by piece down your dead fucking throat. And if I go to jail for the rest of my life…well it would be worth it" Oliveah swore as Madeline cried out. Hearing her daughter's cry, she felt Will's hand slamming down against her shoulder as she released her hold.

"Now get the fuck off my property!"

…

_2701 Strada Spatarului, Bucharest, Romania…_

_1:13am_

Feeding his latest sketch of Oliveah's portrait into the flames of the fire, Hannibal ripped the last paper in half and watched as the flames licked and danced around the edges before curling it over to burn.

_Why continue thinking about her Hannibal?_

_Four years have passed and still, she is consistently on your mind_

_A mind that never rests_

Narrowing his eyes as he bored of the flames, he walked across the marble floor and took a seat in his leather chair.

_Did you deliver safely Oliveah?_

_Did you keep our child?_

_Was it a boy or a girl?_

_Where, are you now?_

The multitude of questions speaking out began to overcrowd his thoughts as Hannibal let out a loud sigh.

No woman had ever piqued his interest the way Oliveah had.

"Not even you, Lady Murasaki" he breathed, thinking of his late Aunt as he heard light high heeled steps coming from around the corner of the room.

"You seem, deep in personal thought Hannibal" Bedelia noted as she watched him cross his legs.

"By all accounts, it has been four years now since I have become a Father."

Stepping closer as she felt the heat of the fire, she moved towards the open balcony doors and stared out into the backyard as three black crows took a seat on the iron wrought fence railing in the dark.

"It's been a long while since you have spoken about…her."

_She has been on my mind_

_But there is another that is growing daily with interest_

"I will be leaving for America, the day after tomorrow."

Turning around swiftly as she felt her mouth falling open, Bedelia tried to keep her composure as a million thoughts started to develop in her mind.

_Will you eat me before you leave?_

_Will you trust that I will be here if and when you return?_

_Why America Hannibal?_

Feeling his burgundy eyes on her face, Bedelia closed her mouth and met his eyes as she offered a weak smile.

"You can relax my dear Bedelia. I will not rush in haste to eat you, before I leave."

_That still does not leave me settled_

"Are you…planning on coming back?"

Rising to his feet, Hannibal moved towards the open doors beside her and crossed his arms over his chest as he breathed in the cool, late night air.

"Of course,"

Shivering as she heard his calm words, she felt lightheaded as she realized what his trip was going to consist of.

"You are going to try and find Oliveah, aren't you?"

…

**Thank you to KyloRen'sgirl213, VentablackValentina, Paninihead, Americanlatinajapanesegirl for leaving reviews!**

**Please read, subscribe and review! I will be updating this story every other Saturday just like before with Part 1.**

**So sorry for the delay in writing this story. Life gets in the way and I will be travelling once more across Canada. **

_Romanian Translations:_

"Ce v-ar plăcea Madame?" - "What would you like Madame?"

"Mai doriți un pahar, domnule?" - "Do you want another drink, sir?"

"Nu vă mulțumesc." - "No thank you."

"Pot să vă dau numărul meu de telefon, domnule?" - "May I give you my phone number, sir?"

"Buna seara," - "Good evening,"


	6. Chapter 6

I do not own anything related to Hannibal, either thru television, or written books. Everything belongs to Thomas Harris and Bryan Fuller. I do own all the created characters. I do not own any songs, or literature mentioned. They are included to enhance the written words. Please read, review, and enjoy!

**Chapter 6**

**Song(s): Smile (Nat King Cole)**

Taking the front stairs by two, Oliveah threw the house door open and threw her hands up roughly onto her hips as she tried to steady her breathing.

_She'll write about us_

_She'll write about our daughter Hannibal_

Halting in her pacing steps across the kitchen floor, she felt her building rage boiling over as she grabbed a large mason jar off the counter and threw it hard with a scream against the far wall. Shaking as she heard the glass settling all over the kitchen floor, she heard Madeline's whimper from the hall as she threw a hand out.

"Stop Maddie!"

Hearing the kitchen door slamming shut behind her, Oliveah watched as Will strode across the floor before scooping the child up and into his arms.

"Freddie Lounds is going to write about her Will…"

Holding the child against his chest, Will shook his head as Oliveah shut her mouth firmly.

_This isn't about us Will, it's all about her. All my efforts to keep her in secret are about to explode onto Tattle Crime_

_Do you still read Tattle Crime Hannibal?_

_From where ever you are in the world?_

…

_8 Hours Later…_

"Am I named after her Momma?"

Watching Madeline pushing her finger against the page, Oliveah shifted the book as the child circled her finger around the drawings red hair as she narrowed her eyes.

"Yes, you are."

"She has red hair and I have brown."

_You are so smart_

Tracing her finger around the Eiffel Tower on the cover of the book, Madeline snuggled in closer against her Mother's side as she asked how big the tower was.

"I…really don't know" Oliveah spoke truthfully as she remembered back four years ago when she pointed her own finger against the country of France.

Lyon to be exact.

"Can we go one day?"

Blinking her eyes quickly as she heard her daughter's question, Oliveah moistened her lips as she folded the book closed before placing it on the wooden nightstand beside a second hand Winne the Pooh bear.

_Absolutely not_

"How about we explore the market on Saturday?" she challenged, sitting up and rising to her feet. Pulling the Hudson's Bay blanket up to settle under Maddie's chin, she bent down and placed a kiss on the child's forehead before moving towards the window.

"Are you out there Lounds? Waiting to get pictures?"

"Momma, did the dead bunny go to heaven?"

Turning around slowly, Oliveah brought her hands up to her hips and stared into her daughter's face as the child pursed her lips together.

_So very much like Hannibal_

"The bunny did nothing wrong. It was living its life and nature took charge" she explained as Maddie wrung her hands together beneath the blanket in silence. Watching Winston jumping up onto the edge of her bed, the young child smiled and threw her arms around his neck as he let out a single bark.

"Good boy Winston."

_He's better than a nightlight_

Pulling the bedroom door closed, Oliveah breathed out deeply before listening to the silence radiating throughout the cabin.

_I need a bath_

_I have to somehow try to relax before I figure out what to do about Freddie Lounds_

Closing the bathroom door behind her, she threw the stopper against the metal drain and turned on the water before shedding all of her clothing to the floor. Grabbing the two large beeswax candles that Will had made earlier in the year, she lit them both with a single match and positioned them on either side of the tub before stepping in. Closing her eyes as the water washed over her chest and stomach, she could feel the steam rising up around her face as she breathed in deeply…

"_Another contraction is coming…"_

Slowly opening her eyes, Oliveah raised her hand and allowed her fingers to rest against the side of the tub as she felt the water running down the length of her arm. Spying the puckered skin along her wrist, she breathed in deeply as she ran a single finger down the length.

_A reminder of my former life..._

Slipping on her white nightgown, she ignored her robe in favor of a brown cardigan as she stepped out into the hallway.

_Still silent_

Leaning her head near her bedroom door for a few seconds, she moved away and softly padded towards the living room as she spied Buster curled up on a blanket near the dark fireplace. Holding her hand out, she smiled as the Jack Terrier gave a quick lick before jumping up at the sound of a loud thump coming from outside the door on the porch.

Buttoning the ends of the cardigan closed against her gown, Oliveah stepped out into the cool night air as she sucked in a deep breath.

_Fresh and clean_

Stepping down the stairs and onto the grass, she walked out into the yard and wrapped her arms around herself before titling her head up to stare up at the stars. Spying the Big Dipper and the North Star, she swallowed hard just as a voice spoke out in the darkness behind her.

"Being in the city, you forget how beautiful a starry night sky is, Simple and calming."

Feeling Will's arm against her shoulder, she tried to smile but failed as she was transported back to the empty field beside his farmhouse…

_(Flashback)_

"_Take my hand."_

_Walking hand in hand across the dark silent field, Oliveah turned to look over her shoulder and could barely make out the soft glow of the house lights as Will stopped walking._

"_Where are we?"_

_Feeling Will drop her hand, Oliveah felt his hand on her shoulder._

"_Look up…"_

"I remember that night like it was yesterday and not nearly five years ago" she spoke, taking in a deep breath as Will nodded his head.

"Four years ago, is a long time after everything we have been through."

"The words you spoke just now? I remember speaking those before I knew who Hannibal was. Before I saw him kill his patient, before…he targeted you" she began as she felt Will's arm rubbing up against her shoulder once more.

"_What_, he is" Will corrected as Oliveah tucked her chin down into her chest.

Hannibal is a cannibalistic serial killer

He is the infamous Chesapeake Ripper from Baltimore, Maryland

A man who displayed his power and strength by framing Will for the murder of Abigail Hobbs, before taking the young girl's life by his own hand.

A man…

"Who is also, the Father of my daughter" she breathed, moistening her lips before returning back towards the porch. Taking the steps slowly, she leaned her forearms against the wooden railing as she watched Will follow suit.

"Do you remember the first time you met Hannibal Lecter?"

Letting out a deep hum against the back of his throat, Will rubbed at the scruff of his bead along his chin as he nodded his head.

"How could I forget, I thought he was drawing up a profile on myself."

"I didn't know what to make of him or you for that fact when I was seated in front of Jack Crawford."

"I was rude to you. Though I have apologized, you can't help but wonder what would have happened if you had taken my advice and just returned to the normal timings of Hopkins lecture halls and writing papers" Will spoke with a low tone as Oliveah inched her arm closer against his.

"In a way, I feel like I was supposed to be thrown into the mix with the both of you."

_One Devil, one Angel_

"I really didn't plan on bringing this up Oliveah, but since Freddie Lounds has already asked the question, do you wonder if Hannibal is going to one day…show up?"

"_He's out there Oliveah, and if I can find you this easily, he could too. Don't you wonder every second if he is going to come back for you?"_

"I've…thought about that for at least forty seconds of every day since the night I choose not to leave Baltimore with him. The night you were gutted, Jack was stabbed, and Abigail was murdered."

_Remember that Oliveah_

_Hannibal in the end, did kill Abigail Hobbs_

_Like she was nothing more to him_

_Like she had fulfilled her use and was free to be discarded_

"Maddie and I buried the rabbit next to the wood shed earlier."

Feeling a shiver running over her shoulders as Will abruptly changed the subject, she pulled the ends of the cardigan closer around her body and sighed as she bit her bottom lip.

"That explains why she asked me after her bedtime story if the bunny was going to Heaven."

"And, what did you tell her?"

"I basically told her that it was living its life and nature took its course."

"Subtle."

"That's how I spoke to her Will. I didn't bother to sugar coat it. What Mother does that? Shouldn't I have made something up? Some cookie cutter fairy tale that would give her good dreams?" she sputtered watching Will stepping forward and enveloping her in his warm arms. Pressing her cheek firmly against his red plaid shirt, she breathed in the scent that she would forever associate him with. Pine, and Old Spice. Feeling his hands rubbing small tight circles along her shoulder blades, she let out a low satisfying moan as she stepped in closer against him. Feeling his chin resting on the top of her head, she wanted nothing more than to stay out here all night as the loud hoots of an owl broke through her thoughts.

"I should go…"

Halting her words, she felt her lips parting as Will leaned down and brushed them gently with his own.

_I don't want him to stop_

"Do you want me to stop?"

Blinking quickly as he read her mind, she slowly shook her head as Will touched the side of her cheek with the back of his hand. Moving her fingers along the buttons of his sweater, she felt his warm hand wrapping around hers as he kissed along the side of her throat.

_I stopped this once before…_

Feeling her feet leaving the ground, Oliveah wrapped her legs around his waist as he walked over the threshold and through the living room, ignoring Buster's curious whine as he approached his half-closed bedroom door. Pushing his elbow hard against the door, Oliveah winced at the loud slam as she felt her back slamming down against Will's mattress. Propping herself up on her elbows, she watched as he peeled off his plaid sweater and white t-shirt before unfastening the belt of his pants.

_You could never make up your mind between him and Hannibal_

_You always felt love for the both of them_

Pulling off her nightgown, Oliveah shivered as the cold air circled her naked body as Will stared down at her.

"How different your life would have been had you never been with Hannibal," he breathed, slipping out of his pants as he positioned himself between her thighs.

"I use to look up at your white farmhouse and say to myself that I could see myself living there, with you" she breathed, kissing along his clavicle bone as Will moved a hand down against himself.

"You can say that with more confidence now" he whispered, pushing the full length of himself forward as she strongly dug her nails into the flesh of his hips as he moved inside of her. Hearing his breath hitch as she felt his hair against the side of her cheek, Oliveah let out a soft moan as she felt four years of tension starting to wash over her with Will's every thrust.

…

_2:15am_

Staring up at the dark ceiling of the bedroom, Oliveah slowly sat up and moved the white bedsheet off her bare legs as she ran her eyes over Will's exposed chest and torso. Moving her eyes over the puckered skin of a long-ago gunshot courtesy of Jack Crawford, she stared at the jagged scar he had received from Hannibal Lecter as his chest rose and fell with deep slumber.

_We both have physical scars courtesy of Hannibal_

Swinging her legs off the edge of the bed, she felt the coolness of the wooden floorboards beneath her feet before reaching down for her discarded night gown. Slipping it over her head, she pulled it down over her hips and shivered as the air fell over her shoulders.

"It's not that I don't want to stay in bed with you Will" she whispered to herself as she stepped out into the hallway. Angling her head near her own bedroom door, she heard nothing as she turned towards the kitchen. Putting on the kettle, she grabbed the wool throw blanket from the back of the chair and wrapped it around her shoulders as she pulled her laptop in front of her. Switching it on, she drummed her fingers against the edge of the table as she stood up and took the kettle off the burner before it whistled. Sitting back down with her chipped mug, she brought up Google and flexed her fingers before taking a deep sip of the scalding hot liquid.

"Did you ignore my warnings Freddie?" she breathed, typing out Tattle Crime in the search bar as she watched the heavily texted web page come to life.

…

_Baltimore, Maryland…_

_11:12am_

Adjusting the driver's seat to accommodate his long legs, the Doctor angled his dark brown eyes as he glanced quickly in the review mirror before signaling out of the parking lot. Moving his left hand to rest on top of the BMW's leather steering wheel, he felt his lips twitching slightly as he drove down Bayshore Avenue and past his former office. A heritage grade stone building, he knew it would never be demolished as he noted no adjustments to the outside exterior as he slowed down for a red traffic light. Hearing the annoying beats of a pop type song coming from the Honda Civic idling in front of him, Hannibal narrowed his eyes as he looked towards the passenger seat on his right.

Driving down the I-95 from Virginia to Baltimore after their first meeting in Crawford's office, he had more than once given the young, twenty-three-year-old Hopkins student a lingering glance as she slept, her head resting against the glass pane of the window.

_From the first moment you spoke Oliveah, you had my attentions_

Moistening his lips as the smooth ride of the luxury vehicle took him navigating through the downtown core of Baltimore, Hannibal slipped his sunglasses down onto the bridge of his nose as he turned towards Springlake Way. Though he had mourned the loss of his late Mother's hand written letters, wedding band, and original documentation stating that he was the sole authority and heir to his once childhood home of Lecter Castle, Hannibal clicked his tongue against his front tooth as he spied the red outlines of the house windows.

"She still stands" he spoke, keeping a steady speed down the road as he noticed the words _**CANNIBAL**_ and _**SATAN**_ graffitied across the front bricks near the boarded up-front door. Noticing that every window facing the street had been solidly boarded up, he smiled before pressing his foot harder onto the gas pedal.

"You would not continue to live in Baltimore after our last night Oliveah; That I am sure" he muttered deep in thought as he tucked his chin into his chest.

"A large city with hundreds of thousands if not millions of people you could get lost in, blend in with…but that is not where you would go to save your sanity" Hannibal spoke, turning towards Clinton Street as he noticed Oliveah's former townhouse with an entirely ugly paintjob.

"Death would not stop you from coming back here, but I know you wouldn't make this place your home ever again" he noted, remembering the layout of the foyer where he had once stood in asking her to dinner as she stood in workout gear smelling of artificial vanilla.

_But you had more than one roommate_

U-turning the BMW to head towards the Interstate that would take him out of the state of Maryland, the Doctor knew exactly where he was heading as he scanned through the radio stations before settling on a classical piece by Beethoven.

…

_306 E 119__th__ St, Apt 4, New York City, New York…_

_4:34pm_

Sitting comfortably in the driver's seat of the dark grey BMW 7 Series Sedan, Hannibal glanced into his review mirror and saw the lingering tiredness in his burgundy eyes. Hearing laughter coming from his right, he watched as a young couple strode down the sidewalk arm in arm in deep discussion for early dinner plans. Glancing out his window, Hannibal pushed open his door and slipped his sunglasses back down over the bridge of his nose. Clicking the locks, he stepped up onto the sidewalk and started down towards the brownstone building as he felt the warm, late afternoon breeze across his face.

_America_

_A much faster pace of life than Europe_

_Fifteen minutes later…_

_Smile, though your heart is aching__  
__Smile, even though it's breaking__  
__When there are clouds in the sky__  
__You'll get by__  
__If you smile…_

Slowly walking down the corridor of the apartment to voice of Nat King Cole on vinyl, Hannibal's eyes took in everything as he leaned closer towards a wooden table holding three framed photographs. Giving a quick glance at the first two, his eyes narrowed at the third picture as he took in Oliveah's wide smile and blushed cheeks between the pursed lips of her two former housemates.

"Heart on her lips and soul within her eyes."

Noticing the date on the bottom of the picture, he removed the backing and easily slipped the glass out before taking the photograph between his thumb and forefinger.

_This was taken before we first met in Jack's office. Before, Will, before Abigail, before me _he noted remembering the awkward silence of their ride back to Baltimore…

"_I don't think Will Graham wants to have me around…"_

Gently folding the picture, Hannibal slipped it into his back pocket as he turned on his heel towards the kitchen. It would be a spur of the moment dish this evening. Depending entirely on what part of the body, his unaware host would consent to surrendering.

…

_6:19pm_

Kicking the apartment door closed behind him as he stepped over his mail, Tyler Follett dropped his messenger bag off to the side and immediately took off for the kitchen in search of a drink, when he caught sight of every kitchen knife and sharp cooking instrument laying flat out on the dining room table to his right.

"The…fuck?"

Stepping cautiously towards the table, he halted in his steps as he heard a slight creak of the floorboards behind him.

"Good evening Tyler, it's nice to see you again..."

Sitting slumped over in his leather office chair, Tyler flexed both his hands and found them expertly tied down. Wincing in pain, he listened for any sound as a car alarm went off outside in the street.

"I'll give you warning now Tyler, that if you try to scream, I will cut out your tongue" Hannibal spoke as he rounded the back of the chair, coming into view and taking a light seat on the edge of the table.

"Holy fuck…."

Pursing his lips as Tyler swore in disbelief at the notorious criminal before him, Hannibal crossed his arms over his chest as he narrowed his eyes.

"I imagine you can guess as to why I have come to New York City to pay you a visit…" he began as Tyler violently shook his head.

"I…only met you once…"

"In Oliveah's presence."

Feeling his mouth falling open, Tyler pressed his back firmly into the chair as he stared into Hannibal's eyes.

"She…I haven't spoken to her since…"

"Since your partner died? I don't believe that Mr. Follett."

Gritting his teeth as he heard Hannibal referring to Andrew, Tyler clenched his fists as he worded his thoughts carefully.

"His name, was Andrew. You don't bother to remember the names of those whom you've butchered?" he spat, catching Hannibal's eye as the cannibal stood onto his feet.

"It may please you to know, that I was not responsible for his death. Oliveah knew that as well" he added, looking down beside him as he laid a single finger against the handle of a chef's knife.

"Did you kill her too?"

Picking up the chef's knife, Hannibal ran the edge of his thumbnail along the blade, feeling it slice cleanly against his flesh as he spied the appearance of blood.

"Oliveah, is still alive."

"But…you don't know where she is, do you?"

Remaining silent as he tapped the tip of the blade against his stubbled chin, Hannibal took slow steps around the chair before lightly drawing the blade across the bottom of Tyler's earlobe. Hearing the man cry at the sudden pain, Hannibal tightly gripped his chin from behind his shoulder as he held him steady.

"Not a sound."

"If…if you are looking for Oliveah, I have no idea where she is. She never came to Andrew's funeral, I…never saw her again!" Tyler pleaded as Hannibal hummed.

"Yet you kept a picture of her framed on your table in the hallway,"

Swallowing hard as he thought to the school picture that was taken the first week she had moved in on Clinton Street, Tyler shifted to no avail as Hannibal kept a tight hold on his chin.

"She…she sent me a letter. She didn't mention your name, but after everything that came out in the press from the police and over the news, she must have felt like someone who used to know her, should know the truth."

"And where, is this letter?"

"I read it once, then ripped it up."

"In her letter to you, did she mention…a child?"

Blinking quickly at his words, Tyler gave a shake of his head as Hannibal pursed his lips once more.

"No,"

"You are a very poor liar Tyler. Your late partner knew of Oliveah's pregnancy, and I know that more than once, she left Baltimore to come to you here. In fact, if I remember correctly, she told me that she felt a great deal of peace sitting out on your iron wrought balcony."

_He's going to kill you Tyler_

_Find yourself some peace_

"More like, she escaped Baltimore."

Catching sight of the blood dripping down the man's ear and onto his shoulder, Hannibal returned to the dining room table and replaced the chef's knife in line before picking up a small paring knife.

"And why would you say, escaped?"

_I'm going to die anyways…_

"She was terrified of you. Terrified and horrified that she was carrying a cannibalistic asshole's fucking baby. Guess she must be raising it now with the help of Will Graham. Trading one psychopath for another" Tyler added as he watched the serial killer before him angle the paring knife against the palm of his hand.

_You confirm my suspicions in regards to young Will_

Slamming his hand down hard against the side of Tyler's head, Hannibal brought the paring knife blade down quickly against the man's tongue as Tyler let out a short scream that was muffled by the pooling of blood in his mouth.

_And now? You will die for it_

Tossing half of Tyler's tongue down onto the ground as his feet, Hannibal tossed the small knife aside as he favored the larger blades with precision from the table top.

"You've given me the idea of another person who might know Oliveah's whereabouts. I thank you for this Tyler," Hannibal smiled as he drove the sharp blade of the chef knife into the man's right rib cage. Impaling all the knives that he had found from the kitchen into the man's body, Hannibal stepped through the blood pool and back into the kitchen before wiping his hands with a hand towel that hung along the front of the stove.

"If I were a betting man Miss Lounds, I would say that by this time, you have already found the whereabouts of Oliveah Adler."

…

**Thank you to VentablackValentina, Mara-Lethe, Americanlatinajapanesegirl, Slytherin Sacha, and Kylorten'sgirl213 for leaving reviews!**

**Please read, subscribe and review! I will be updating this story every other Saturday just like before with Part 1.**

**So sorry for the delay in writing this story. Life gets in the way!**

**P.S. "Heart on her lips and soul within her eyes" is a partial quote from Lord Byron's **_**Beppo**_

**P.P.S. I know some readers and fans are NOT fans of Will and Oliveah together, but I want to assure you that my story is still very much a Hannibal and Oliveah story. **


	7. Chapter 7

I do not own anything related to Hannibal, either thru television, or written books. Everything belongs to Thomas Harris and Bryan Fuller. I do own all the created characters. I do not own any songs, or literature mentioned. They are included to enhance the written words. Please read, review, and enjoy!

**Chapter 7**

**Song(s): Wrapped Around Your Finger (The Police)**

_Friday_

"**EWWWW!"**

Hearing the teasing taunt of her four-year-old daughter as she broke her kiss with Will, Oliveah felt her cheeks reddening as Will brought a finger up against his lips, causing Madeline to giggle once more.

"Are you in love with my Momma?"

"Eat your dinner Maddie, then it's bath time" Oliveah interrupted as she heard Winston yip with delight at the under-table food scrap.

"I've known your Momma since before you were born Maddie, and I do really like her" Will spoke as he winked at Oliveah from the corner of his eye.

"_How different your life would have been had you never been with Hannibal,"_

Swallowing hard as she heard his words from the night before, she watched Will clearing away Maddie's nearly empty plate as she wondered what kind of Father he would have been.

_Had I chosen you Will in the beginning; would Hannibal have left us alone? Before I fell so far?_

Glancing down at the ever-present reminders of Beverley Katz's death puckered along both her wrists, Oliveah sighed as she knew the very answer to her question almost immediately.

Not even if Hell had frozen over, would he had let her go so easily.

"_I don't need to be analyzed Dr. Lecter…" _

"_Of course not, you've gone through enough in your adolescence."_

"You were studying me from the first minute I opened my mouth in Jack's office Hannibal," she whispered to herself as Will sat a small bowl of chocolate ice cream down in front of Maddie.

"Uncle Will, did you know my Daddy?"

Dropping the small silver spoon hard against the bowl, Will froze momentarily before bringing his eyes up onto Oliveah's pale face.

"I…did know your Father. A very long time ago…" he spoke carefully as Oliveah shook her head.

"Bath time Madeline…now!"

Hearing the soft thumping of her daughter as she watched both dogs following suit, she walked over to the table and snatched up the untouched bowl and spoon before setting them in the empty sink.

"She'll only ask more questions the older she gets. She's smart."

Hearing Will's words from her left shoulder, Oliveah stared out into the darkness of the front quiet yard as she felt his hand squeezing her bicep.

"You don't think I've played and replayed this situation over and over in my head? Since the day she was born Will, my head has not stopped with scenarios and wondering at what age will she finally want to see her birth certificate, which doesn't exist" she rambled, feeling Will's arms circling around her.

"She is going to grow up faster than we think. What…are you going to tell her?"

_Ten minutes later…_

Pressing a cloth against her daughter's face as she poured a cup of warm water over her dry hair, Oliveah chewed on her words as she finally formulated her question.

"Maddie, what made you ask about your…Daddy?"

Submerging her yellow plastic duck beneath the bubbles as she reached for a blue floating boat, Madeline furrowed her brow as she answered her Mother.

"Calvin has a Daddy, Liam has a Daddy, and Jordyn has a Daddy. But Will is not my Daddy."

"No, he isn't" Oliveah confirmed as she poured a capful of no tear shampoo onto her daughter's head.

"Where is he?"

_Are you really going to say it Oliveah?_

_Are you really going to lie to her?_

"Your Father…is dead. He died before you were born." Hearing the growing lie uttered from her lips, she felt the unease in her stomach as she caught her daughter's dark burgundy eyes.

_It's like she is looking into my soul with your own eyes Hannibal_

Lowering the plastic cup back down into the water, she heard the child's small whimpers as she let go of her toys.

"I'm…sorry Maddie."

_I'm sorry?_

_Am I really sorry for not telling you that your Father is a murderer who eats the flesh of people? Who is wanted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation?_

"Come on, let's get you out and into bed with a story."

_Thirty minutes later…_

Slowly pulling the bedroom door closed with a soft click, Oliveah tossed Maddie's towel near the laundry basket before turning back towards the kitchen.

"Do you want a drink?"

Nodding her head as Will slid over a second wine glass, he uncorked a bottle of white and took a small sniff at the end of the cork as Oliveah froze.

"You remind me of Hannibal, when you do that Will."

Pausing with the cork screw in his hand, he sat it down in the sink before returning to the table and its glasses."Did she ask any more questions?"

"She's as curious and attentive as Hannibal. Yes, she did and I told her that her Father was dead" she spoke matter-of-factly as she took a deep sip of the wine.

"If we didn't need the stock for the winter months, I would cancel this weekend."

"No, you need this Will. I'm going to take Maddie and Buster with me to the market tomorrow, and then, we'll just wait for your return on Sunday" she smiled, feeling his hand squeezing hers.

"I meant it when I said that I will take care of the both of you, if you'll let me" he breathed, leaning in close and brushing his lips against her earlobe. Letting out a small moan from the back of her throat as she felt his warm breath against her skin, Oliveah angled her head and felt Will's lips capturing her own as he ignored his untouched glass of wine.

"Time for bed?"

…

_2:14am_

Narrowing his dark eyes as he leaned his shoulder against the rough bark of a tree, Hannibal Lecter stared up at the small dark, home built cabin, gently humming the notes of a song he had once heard from his childhood.

_I have found you Oliveah_

Scanning his eyes around the surrounding property, he felt his lips pulling into a small smile as he spied no other lights in the distance, no headlights of vehicles, and no other sounds except the odd yipping of foxes out in the fields hunting their nightly rations of mice.

_You were accurate in your description of the property Ms. Lounds. No one else around for nearly a mile _he smiled to himself as he started off across the dark yard. Keeping his eyes trained on the dark windows as he slowly climbed the steps that would lead him into the wooden home, he twisted the door handle and was surprised to find it unlocked, shaking his head.

_Sloppy William_

Gently pushing open the door, he tucked himself inside and shut it promptly behind him as he stood in the darkness and breathed in deeply, closing his eyes.

_Some sort of meat for dinner_

_Pork_

Glancing at the kitchen counter to his immediate right, he spied a white wine bottle still uncorked and gave a small sniff before grimacing.

_A cheap white_

_Had I not taught you anything concerning taste Oliveah? _He wondered, setting the bottle back down as he moved towards the wooden table. Running his eyes over a pack of crayons and a child's coloring book, Hannibal held his breath as he reached out for a red crayon just as his ears picked up on the sounds of low moaning coming from down the hallway. Taking slow steps, his eyes fell on a closed door before catching sight of a door across, slightly ajar. Hearing the moans of a female, he felt the growl growing deep in the back of his throat as he stood outside the door, listening to the unmistakable sounds of lovemaking.

_You choose Will four years ago in my kitchen Oliveah_

_And you still choose him now, to be in your bed_

Moving his eyes back down the dark hallway towards the open kitchen, Hannibal felt his mouth glands pooling with saliva as he thought of the butcher knives he had spied in the wooden block beside the bottle of awful wine.

_I promised that I wouldn't kill you Oliveah_

He had made good in his promise to her ever since they had first met, but he was sorely tempted now to drag the sharp, stainless steel blade of a cleaver cleanly across her throat or stomach.

_But I could watch the blood of your life drain out of you Oliveah_

_Onto the wooden floorboards_

_Seeping down in thru the cracks_

Taking a step backwards as he heard the creaking of the bed post just beyond the door, Hannibal glanced at the closed door across from him, and with three quietly measured steps, he found himself standing in a pitch-dark bedroom with a tiny sliver of moonlight shedding light on a Winnie the Pooh bear laying just at his feet. Glancing down to his left side, he froze as he felt his jaw growing rigid at the sight of a sleeping child, brown hair fanning out over a pillow and slightly parted lips breathing calmly.

Angling his eyes, he squatted down slightly as he stared into the child's peaceful face.

_My child_

_My…_

_Daughter_

Holding his breath, he reached out and lightly pressed the edge of his thumbnail against her lower lip before tracing over her upper lip. Moving his fingers against a piece of hair that had fallen against her cheek, Hannibal gently tucked it alongside the back of her ear as he took in the dark brown shade of her tresses.

_You have your Mother's hair color and my lips_

_But what about your eyes?_

Hearing the squeak of the door hinge across the way, Hannibal moved himself to stand behind the door in the corner just as he heard a throat gently clearing.

_Oliveah_

Closing his eyes as he steadied his breathing, he could hear her quiet movements as he imagined her tucking a blanket firmly around the sleeping shoulders of their daughter. Perhaps, she was tucking the toy bear that had been on the floor back into the child's arms? Hearing a low sigh from the other side of the door, he listened to her footsteps as he caught sight of her thin silhouette standing in front of the closed window as she slightly moved aside the white lace curtain, allowing a stream of moonlight to fall against the floor boards.

_I once did the same to allow you safe passage back to your bed_

"Your Father, is not dead,"

Hearing Oliveah's soft words, Hannibal remained still as he bit down hard on the inside of his cheek, tasting blood as the young woman spoke once more from the window.

"I lied to you to protect you. As much as I want you to never find out who he is, or what he is and what he's done, you will learn one day. Please forgive me for failing to protect you."

Hearing her bare footed steps across the floorboards as he listened to her placing a soft kiss upon the child, he had a vision of throwing the door closed, trapping her inside the room before Will could register her screams.

_How easy it could be right now to break your neck Will Graham _

_Finish what I had started in my kitchen all those year ago_

Feeling the door pulling away from his body as it stopped just shy of closing completely, Hannibal listened to Oliveah's footsteps disappearing down the hallway as she banged around in the kitchen devoid of light. Hearing the clink of a heavy bottomed glass and running water that sounded in preparation for a kettle, he stepped across the floorboards and saw that the stuffed bear had indeed been re-tucked in bed with the child.

_My child_

"What is your name?" he whispered to himself as he reached his fingers down and grazed the soft skin of her small hand.

Oliveah had never discussed a desire to become a Mother. Her reaction to discovering her pregnancy at the mere age of twenty-two had been a mixture of fear, uncertainty, and only a handful of possible positives as he remembered informing her that they would start their family life off in France before moving to her chosen destination.

A destination, that never came.

Rising slowly to his booted feet, his eyes fell upon a hardcover book that rested on the edge of the bedside table and as he squinted his eyes, he felt his lips twitching.

_MADELINE_

Spying the yellow overcoats and plate shaped hats adorning each of the twelve little illustrated French girls, Hannibal allowed his eyes to settle on the Eiffel Tower before glancing back at the sleeping child.

_She kept you, because she knew I would come for you_

_And for her_

…

Taking a seat at the kitchen table with her hot cup of tea, Oliveah wrapped the brown throw around her bare shoulders as she spied Maddie's crayons and coloring book. It would be a weekend without Will. A weekend of just her and her child, a child that was starting to speak her mind, ask intelligent questions, a child that was growing more into her looks every single day. Grabbing a green crayon, she flipped open the book and settled on a page where the color would fit in nicely. Tracing along the solid black lines of a flower steam, she shaded in the first leaf before pausing to take a sip of her tea.

"You seriously can't be afraid of being around your own daughter Oliveah," she whispered to herself as she felt the coolness of the late-night air circling around her. Pulling the woolen throw tighter around her shoulders, she folded an arm beneath her chin before turning her cheek to rest. Breathing in slowly she felt herself drifting off to sleep as she relaxed in her seat.

Stepping out into the hallway as he pulled his daughter's bedroom door closed behind him, Hannibal listened to the quiet darkness before coming to stand in front of Oliveah and Will's bedroom. Wrapping his hand around the handle, he pulled it firmly closed and turned towards the kitchen, knowing full well, that Oliveah would still be there.

_I will show you fear, in a handful of dust_

Quoting Eliot in his mind as he cautiously walked down the hallway, his eyes fell upon her hunched over seated figure, now covered with a brown throw. Halting in his steps three feet behind her, he breathed in deeply and reached a hand out in front of him. Stepping closer, he stared down at the back of her head before catching sight of her resting profile.

_Eyes closed_

_Lips pursed_

_How many times did I lie awake to watch you sleep Oliveah?_

Stretching his hand out, Hannibal lightly brushed the tips of his fingers against her exposed cheek as he watched her take a deep breath.

_I could wake you Oliveah_

_But would you be happy to see me?_

_Or terrified?_

Hearing her breathing in once more, he straightened his back and walked confidently towards the counter, pulling out a single knife from the worn wooden butcher block before turning back around to face the sleeping woman. Tapping the tip of the blade against his thumb, Hannibal pressed the edge against the palm of his hand and squeezed his grip tightly, feeling the blood pooling.

"_Trust, is difficult for you Hannibal..."_

Hearing Bedelia's voice from a session many years ago, he stood still and squeezed his hand into a fist as his blood seeped through his clenched fingers.

"You have broken my trust Oliveah."

…

_The Next Morning…_

_7:23am_

Watching the back of Will's dark blue Volvo disappearing from view down the country road, Oliveah felt Maddie leaning back against her legs as she looked down into her daughter's upturned face.

_She's going to hate me_

"Sweetie, I can't take you with me to the market."

"**YOU PROMISED!"**

"Madeline, I have to be on call for a client who could have her baby…"

"I want to go with Buster and Will!"

Watching her daughter stomping her booted feet as she pulled away from her grasp, Oliveah felt her anger rising as she lunged forward and roughly grabbed her daughter's arm.

"Stop whining! You're going to Lily's for the afternoon!"

_Thirty minutes later…_

Driving into Portland, Oliveah threw her sunglasses aside and swore under her breath as she spied the crowd of the University's already running farmer's market.

_Late equals less money_

Rubbing at her exhausted eyes, she angled her stare towards her review mirror and lightly brushed at her cheek as she slowly circled the bone.

_As if I slept for three hours hunched over the kitchen table_

Rolling her shoulders back as she stared at her reflection, Oliveah sighed as she felt the harsh judgement mocking her in the mirror. "I'm not the world's best Mother. I'm…not even a good Mother" she added in a whisper as she remembered her daughter stomping away from her without a goodbye look in Lily's driveway.

"Will and I need every cent for us to survive Madeline."

…

_Two hours later…_

Feeling the vibration of her mobile phone in the back pocket of her jeans, Oliveah slammed down the lid to her small cash lock box as she stepped to the side of her stall.

"Shit. Jade, Hi…"

"Oliveah! My water broke and Alex is not here!"

Hearing the hurried stressed words of her client, Oliveah wedged the phone between her ear and neck as she shoved the cash box into her cloth bag before turning towards the passenger side door of her black Ford F-150 truck. Packing up the leftover produce off the table, she listened to Jade's worries as she waited for a pause to interject a few breathing exercises.

"When I last spoke to you yesterday, you didn't mention having any contractions. Now that your water has broken, you might not start having any for about twelve hours. I'm going to head home now and quickly shower and grab my bag. I'll be with you in less than an hour." Gunning the truck down the I-84 heading east, Oliveah glanced down at the phone in her hand and as she thumbed in her friend's phone number, she prayed to the high heaven's that she was not already on the road with Madeline.

"Hey…"

"Hey, what are the odds that you are not already on the road?"

Hearing her friend chuckle over the speaker as she glanced at the hour on the dashboard, Oliveah felt her foot easing off the gas pedal as she narrowed her eyes on the back of the white unmarked police vehicle that sat near the bend everyday day around this time.

"Odds are very good. Lucas can't find his toy firetruck and Madeline is not pleased that we didn't have time to bake chocolate chip cookies from the recipe on the back of the semi-sweet package" Lily spoke as Oliveah moistened her lips.

"Is there any way that you can keep her occupied for at least another two hours? I know that's asking a lot, but my client's water just broke and Will has gone fishing until Sunday…"

"Well, just be prepared to eat a whole shit load of cookies. She is stoked that she is not going home yet" Lily laughed as Oliveah flipped on the left turn signal for the last fifteen minutes of the drive that would bring her into the gravel driveway of home.

"I owe you so much Lily,"

"Just tell Will that one of the fish he catches, has my name on it."

Tossing aside her phone as it landed on the passenger seat face down, Oliveah breathed deeply as she felt her shoulders starting to relax as the mailbox came into sight.

_Right, slide the produce box into the cold cellar, quick shower, grab my bag, and back out _

_The life of a Birth Doula_

Shutting off the truck's engine, she threw herself out the driver's side door, ignoring as it stayed open before rounding the back of the trunk. Pulling out the wooden produce box over the tailgate, Oliveah heaved it up onto her right shoulder and quickly marched up the wooden stairs to the front door, kicking aside a few fallen split logs that had tumbled down from the pile that lined along the front wall of the cabin. Pushing open the wooden door with her free shoulder, she cursed under her breath as she dumped the box down onto the floor at her booted feet.

"Fuck sakes,"

Striding across the floorboards towards a small door, she ripped it open and dragged the box into the cool darkness before kicking it shut behind her.

_Deal with you later carrots_

Pulling off her white t-shirt, she tossed it onto the back of a kitchen chair and quickly fanned the front of her black tank top before moving towards the sink. Grabbing a glass off the wooden dry rack, she filled it greedily with water and had downed half of the contents in two gulps before a low whimper reached her ears. Glancing down to her right, she felt the glass falling from her fingers as it smashed loudly at her feet.

"Winston?"

Stepping on the glass, she ignored the crunch beneath her boot as her eyes went wide with the sight before her.

_The Wound Man_

_Stabbed, sliced, punctured, and bleeding_

Staring into the dog's dying eyes as she fell onto her knees, Oliveah scanned her eyes over the multitude of kitchen knives and forks that had been stabbed through and hard into the canine's body as she watched him exhale a final breath. Laying a shaky hand on his cold wet nose, she felt the tears forming in her eyes as she suddenly held her breath.

_Someone was in the house_

_Someone…_

_Is in the house_

Moving her hand off Winston's nose, she slowly inched her fingers down the length of his furry neck as she stared at the black handle of a butcher knife.

"Forgive me please." Whispering as she wrapped her hand around the knife handle, Oliveah gritted her teeth as she ripped it clean from the animal's back. Watching the blood dripping off the edge of the blade, she glanced down and froze as she saw the thick dark liquid soaking into the jeaned fabrics of her knees.

_Blood is nothing new to you Oliveah_

Feeling the sharp heaviness in her chest as she slowly rose to her feet, she threw her eyes around the kitchen and felt her stomach sink as she spied a white cue card propped up against one of the beeswax candles on the kitchen table. Stepping forward, she held the knife flush against her thigh as she reached out and took the card up between her bloody thumb and forefinger. Turning it over, she let out a shaky exhale as she stared into her own face, sandwiched between Andrew and Tyler's.

_This was taken just after I moved in with them on North Clinton in Baltimore _Narrowing her eyes, she spied thin pen marks lightly crossing out the men's features as she felt all the blood draining from her face.

_Mason Verger killed Andrew_

_This is his doing_

_His revenge_

Stepping backwards as the picture fell from her fingers, she spun around and broke out into a dash back towards the door just as a kitchen chair came flying across the floor, tripping her as she fell down hard onto the floorboards. Groaning as she rolled over onto her side, her eyes fell onto a pair of brown Blundestone boots as a man's determined yet elegant steps thumped closer towards her head.

"Hello Oliveah,"

Trying to focus her blurry vision as she heard the man's familiar accented words, Oliveah felt her mouth falling open as Hannibal Lecter offered a small smile before pressing a table cloth soaked with chloroform hard against her nose and lips.

…

**Thank you to Farrahjohnson21, Casperspalercousin, Americanlatinajapanesegirl, and VentablackValentina for leaving reviews!**

**Please read, subscribe and review! **

**P.S. If anyone is wondering, I see the actress Mackenzie Foy (the little girl from Twilight) as my depiction of Madeline. Chapter 8 will be out next week with detail on Hannibal's meeting with Freddie Lounds.**

**P.P.S. T.S. Eliot is the author of the quote Hannibal was thinking of in Oliveah's kitchen**


	8. Chapter 8

I do not own anything related to Hannibal, either thru television, or written books. Everything belongs to Thomas Harris and Bryan Fuller. I do own all the created characters. I do not own any songs, or literature mentioned. They are included to enhance the written words. Please read, review, and enjoy!

**Chapter 8**

**Song(s): Waltz in C Sharp Minor Op.64 No.2 (Chopin), Day 7: Low Mist Var.2 (Ludovico Einaudi)**

Breathing in deep, Oliveah muttered a sharp sigh as she felt an awful kink in the right side of her neck. Opening her eyes, she blinked slowly until the kitchen counter just off to her left stilled into one image.

"Mmmm…"

Moistening her lips, the young woman raised her eyes towards the ceiling and froze as she heard a very familiar sound.

_Piano keys_

Holding her breath as she listened to the expertly played black and white notes as they seemed to dance around the entire cabin, she couldn't help but let out a low groan as she tried to sit upright in the kitchen chair. Feeling tight restraints against her wrists and forearms, she glanced down and spied butcher's twine crisscrossing her skin making it painful every time she tried to move. Wincing as she watched a thin line of blood appear from beneath some of the twine along her lower right wrist, she tried and failed to suppress a cough from the back of her dry throat as the notes came to a halt.

_Shit…_

Stiffening as she heard booted footsteps cross the floorboards in the other room, her heart threatened to beat and break from her chest cavity as Hannibal Lecter came into view. Feeling the wetness pooling in her eyes, Oliveah stared straight into his dark burgundy eyes as he leaned his shoulder slightly against the door frame.

"Frederic Chopin's waltz in c sharp minor" he spoke as Oliveah licked her lips.

"Opus sixty-four, number two" she managed to whisper as Hannibal nodded his head with twitching lips.

"Very good Oliveah."

Hearing the light accented purr to his voice as he spoke her name for the second time in nearly five years, she simply stared at the man in the doorway, trying to remember to breath and not pass out in a mixture of emotions.

_In five years, your appearance has barely changed Hannibal. Slight greying to your hair, dark eyes that can still see into a person's soul, and a lithe frame that allows you to move with quickness and stealth. While I have given birth, lost probably ten pounds due to stress, and will forever have garden dirt under my fingernails from trying to make a living _she thought to herself as she tried and failed to sit up properly in the chair hearing the wood giving a sickening crack.

"The restraints will remain in place until we have had a chat. You will remain in that chair."

Holding her breath as she watched Lecter walking slowly towards her, Oliveah felt her lips parting as she twisted her arms to feel the sharp pain that would hopefully keep her focused on the situation, she was in.

"Will is due back any minute."

_Is that really the first sentence that you are going to say to him?_

_Starting off with an empty verbal threat?_

Halting in his steps, Hannibal narrowed his eyes on hers as he pursed his lips.

"Will is off fishing at Red Hills Lake and will not return until tomorrow evening" he spoke calmly as Oliveah felt all the blood draining from her face.

_Jesus Christ_

"So, we have all afternoon and evening to get re-acquainted" he added, stepping around to the left side of the chair as he looked down to her tied hands.

_This can't be happening_

"How do you know about Will?" she whispered, feeling her stomach lurch as her mind started to race.

_Is Will even still alive?_

Moving over to the calendar on the fridge door, Hannibal tapped his index finger against the date box that was filled with a scribble and a drawn sad face.

"How… long have you been here Hannibal?"

Feeling the confidence returning to her shaky voice as she spoke, she watched as Lecter leaned his back against the fridge door before crossing his arms over his chest.

"Long enough to dispose of your dog. Long enough to familiarize myself with the layout of your…cozy country cabin, and long enough to hear you fuck, Will Graham."

_He was here last night_

Shutting her mouth tight, Oliveah bit down hard on her tongue and ignored the pain as she tasted the blood. Staring into Hannibal's face, she narrowed her eyes and quickly twisted her arms as droplets of blood dripped down the twine and onto the wooden floor boards.

"…_all afternoon and evening to get re-acquainted"_

_I'm going to pass out_

_Oh my God_

_Madeline…_

Pressing her back hard against the backing of the chair, she swore under her breath as she felt her chest starting to tighten.

"Untie me Hannibal."

Hearing the darkness in her voice, the Doctor simply scoffed as he stepped forward, standing directly in front of her. "Your hands and fingers are no longer those of a soft academic" he noted, lightly tracing the inside skin of her index finger with the edge of his thumb. Feeling a cold shiver running down her spine as she felt his thumb against her finger, Oliveah held her breath as Hannibal gently touched along the right side of her cheek.

"You'll have a bruise from falling onto the floor…"

Glancing upwards as she felt the palm of his warm hand against her cheek, her eyes froze on the sight of the gold band that adorned the ring finger of his left hand.

"You…you're married?"

Glancing down at his left hand, Hannibal flexed all five of his fingers as he watched the light catch upon the band.

"A mere piece, to add to the costume."

_Once upon a time, you were going to give me a ring_

_Your Mother's ring_

"Please, untie me."

"No."

Blinking quickly at the sharpness of his dismissal, she felt his hand leaving her face as she watched him return to the fridge.

"I've never talked Hannibal. Not to anyone. No press, no papers, nobody…" she stressed as the cannibal calmly pulled open the fridge door.

"Not even, to Fredericka Lounds?"

Hearing Freddie's name, Oliveah twisted her tied hands once more as she felt the sharpness of the twine biting into her flesh.

"She was here, earlier in the week. Somehow, she found out where I was and she just showed up. I told her nothing, if anything, I threatened her life to get off the property" she added, being careful to make no mention of her daughter.

_Their daughter_

"I see."

_See?_

_See what?_

"You'll be able to relax, knowing that Ms. Lounds won't be writing a book or any articles on _our_ little family anytime soon" Hannibal spoke as he pulled out a small white cardboard box tied with twine from the top shelf of the fridge. Moving towards the table, he sat the box down and wiped his hands together before turning and grabbing the front of her chair, pulling it back with him as he situated her up to the table side.

_What is in the box?_

"Hannibal, what is in that box?"

Trying her best to keep her voice from shaking, she felt her chest growing tight as she watched his long fingers expertly and gently untie the twine to pull back the flaps. Reaching in first with one hand, he moved a second hand against his wrist as he slowly pulled out a dark red bloody mass that took up the whole palm of his left hand.

Watching the blood dripping from between his fingers as he held the heart out towards her, Oliveah felt the bile rising in her throat as she started to gag.

"You killed her…"

"Her death was much overdue" Hannibal replied flatly as he massaged the heart in his hands, watching the blood squirming through his fingers.

"Was it quick?" Watching Hannibal dropping Freddie's heart back into the box before tucking the now bloody flaps closed, she clenched her fingers as he turned around to face her, folding his arms over his black sweatered chest.

"You were always interested in the details" he smirked, taking in a deep breath.

"She took her last breath seconds after I ripped her heart out of her chest with my bare hands. How satisfying you would have felt had you been at my side to observe" he spoke, spying the bent photograph of her and her dead roommates beneath the table. Moving towards the table, he bent down to retrieve it before tossing it onto the tabletop.

"You'll be happy to know that Tyler didn't give you up as easily as she did."

Feeling her eyes growing wide at the mentioning of Tyler's name, she stared at the man before her as she remembered the faint black cross that had been drawn across his face.

"What, did you name our daughter Oliveah?"

Snapping back to attention with his question, Oliveah cleared her throat as she continued to stare at the blood smeared box.

"Oliveah?"

_Everyone around me dies at your hand Hannibal Lecter_

Hearing her name, she continued to stare at the box and winced only once as she heard his footsteps approaching her. Feeling the pain in her lower back, she tried to resist his fingers from tilting her chin up and ultimately failed as he gripped her chin hard.

"Madeline."

"In an old house in Paris that was covered with vines, lived twelve little girls in two straight lines…"

Raising her eyes onto his face, she dared not to blink as she felt him peering into the depths of her soul.

"Freddie saw Madelaine. She saw her and she immediately made the connection that she was your daughter. I told her that if she ever wrote anything, I would kill her."

"Then I've saved you the time."

Wrenching her tied down arms against the twine, Oliveah clenched her jaw as she watched Hannibal cocking an eye.

"If you're not going to untie me, you can at least tell me the time" she growled, wincing as she felt the tightness in the right side of her neck.

Glancing over his shoulder towards the wall clock, he told her the time and caught the quick fear in her eyes.

_Lily will be dropping Madeline off soon_

"She will be home soon."

"And not alone,"

Running his eyes over her face as he moved back towards the cupboard, Oliveah sighed as she stared down at the smears of blood all along her arms.

"If you're here to kill me Hannibal…" she challenged, hearing liquid being poured into two glasses from behind her.

"I promised you years ago…"

"**I DON'T GIVE A SHIT ABOUT YEARS AGO! YOU'VE COME BACK AND…FUCK!" **Wrenching her arms hard as the twine refused to give, Oliveah let out a scream as Hannibal rounded back into her sight holding a glass of brown liquid. Taking a small sip as he leaned back against the counter, he reached around to his left side and withdrew a butcher knife from the wooden block. Taping the sharp tip against his thigh as he took another sip of Scotch, Hannibal glanced down at Oliveah's bloody arms as she started to shake.

"You've broken my trust Oliveah."

Turning her head towards him as he spoke, she shook her head and cursed with the pain as she rolled her eyes.

"I didn't leave you, for Will."

Downing the rest of his Scotch, Hannibal slid his glass across the counter and ignored it as it crashed to the floor.

"You, are nothing like Will Graham Oliveah."

_No, I am more like you_

"I left you, for her."

Feeling the sting of tears pricking at the corners of her eyes as she stared into his eyes, refusing to be the first to blink, she winced as a car horn sounded from outside in the driveway.

"Hannibal…untie me…please" Oliveah whispered as footsteps sounded on the steps outside.

Taking a firm step forward towards Oliveah as he tucked his chin into his chest, Hannibal raised the butcher knife to meet her eyes as she read his warning.

_He promised never to kill me, but he never promised to leave me in one piece_

_Why do I feel that is no longer true?_

Feeling the lightest touch of his fingers against her arms as he expertly sliced through the twine, she sprang onto shaky feet as she shoved Hannibal aside. Quickly grabbing the hand towel hanging off the stove, she wrapped it around her right wrist in a bid to conceal her blood just as she watched Hannibal tossing the knife down onto the table with a loud clatter.

"We're home!"

Catching the door by the side of her foot as she let out a curse, Oliveah tried to smile as Lily dropped Madeline's backpack to the ground.

"Sorry! Just hold on a minute, I dropped a glass." Reaching for a roll of paper towel, she ripped off a generous number of sheets and held them hard against her left arm as she caught Hannibal's eye.

"Momma?"

Closing her eyes tightly as she heard her daughter's voice, Oliveah slipped around the door and held it closed behind her as Lily handed her Maddie's bag.

"I can't thank you enough Lily,"

Catching the sight of blood seeping through the paper towel wrapped around her friend's arm, Lily scoffed as her eyes went wide.

"Jesus! What the hell happened to you?"

_My cannibalistic serial killer former lover and Father of my child came back to America_

"Clumsiness and a bad day at the market" Oliveah muttered as she scooped her daughter up into her arms.

"I'll, call you tomorrow."

_If I am alive tomorrow_

Holding her daughter tight against her chest as she pressed her back against the door, Oliveah watched as her only hope to get a message out drove down the gravel driveway with a honk of the horn.

"Momma, where's Winston?"

_You have no reason to listen to me God, but I am asking you to keep my daughter safe_

Ignoring the backpack on the ground, Oliveah stepped over it as she pushed open the door to the cabin. Closing it behind her, she held Maddie tight as the child demanded to be put down.

"Who are you?"

Hearing her daughter's small voice as she struggled to turn around, Oliveah froze and steadied her daughters chin with her fingers. "Maddie, I want you to go to your room for a bit okay? Momma needs to talk with her friend" she began as Hannibal cleared his throat.

"Madeline, would you like to help me cook dinner for your momma?"

Hearing Hannibal's voice, Oliveah struggled to keep their daughter in her arms as the child smiled widely.

"Momma! Put me down!"

"Madeline, to your room now!"

"Come here Madeline."

Turning around on her heel, her fingers lost her grip on Madeline's arm as the child dashed around the table towards Hannibal.

"**MADELINE!"**

Bumping into Hannibal's leg as she raced around the table, Madeline fell back onto the floor and stared straight up in his dark eyes. Watching him holding out a hand to her, she shied away and watched as he flexed his fingers.

"It's lovely to finally meet you Madeline" he whispered, feeling her small hand in his as he easily lifted her to her feet.

"Luke stole my chocolate cookie at lunch."

Blinking in surprise as his daughter spoke, Hannibal glanced up towards Oliveah as she tightly gripped the back of the chair that she had been strapped to.

"Well, we will just have to bake you some more cookies."

Glancing up at the white box on the kitchen table, the child frowned as she noticed the blood smears all along the sides before moving onto the knife.

"I am making dinner tonight for all of us" Hannibal spoke as Madeline moved her eyes onto her Mother.

"Momma, is Will having dinner with us?"

Clearing his throat as he stepped around his daughter, Hannibal reached for the box containing Freddie's heart before setting it on the counter next to the stove as Maddie followed his steps.

"Can I help?"

"**NO!" **

Hearing Oliveah's loud piercing shout, Hannibal glanced down into Maddie's curious face as he pursed his lips.

"I'm sure your mother knows best for you Madeline, and I wouldn't wish to upset her any more than I already have. How about you sit and observe" he spoke as he leaned down and scooped the tiny child up into his arms. Allowing her to rest on the edge of the countertop, Hannibal picked up a single button mushroom from a brown bag near the meat grinder as he closed both his hands. Holding them in front of the child, he gestured for her to choose one.

Grinning from ear to ear, Madeline taped her fingers on Hannibal's left hand and frowned as he revealed an empty palm.

"Perhaps, the right hand?" he offered, opening his hand to reveal nothing as well.

"Or perhaps," he whispered moving his hand against her ear, "It is right here."

Smiling brightly as she grabbed the mushroom, Maddie took a big bite and watched as the man standing in front of her rubbed his hands together.

_He is a serial killer_

_The Chesapeake Ripper_

_A cannibal_

_A man who killed Abigail Hobbs_

_Who tried to kill Will, Jack, and Alana_

_A man who stands in front of a child displaying an easy and natural paternal guidance_

_His child_

"Hannibal, please,"

"This is the first time I've met our daughter Oliveah. I've given you four years of peace, quiet, and happiness and you would begrudge me this moment?"

Straightening her back, Oliveah glanced down at her toweled arm as she signed.

"Are you my daddy?"

Hearing Madeline's tiny voice, Hannibal turned back around to face her as he laid a hand on her knee.

"I do not blame your mother for not telling you about me my dear and I wouldn't want this to ruin our special dinner tonight as a family" Hannibal scowled as Oliveah balled up her fists.

"I swear to God, I will kill you if you hurt her."

Hearing Oliveah's low growl, Hannibal pursed his lips as he squared off in front of her, staring down into her face.

"You are in no position to threaten me Oliveah" he breathed, feeling her chest against his as he searched her face. "And why would your thoughts automatically think that I may hurt my own child?"

"Wasn't Abigail like a daughter to you?"

Narrowing his eyes as he raised his hand, Hannibal traced his fingertips along Oliveah's cheek as he leaned in close against her ear.

"Tread very carefully Oliveah."

Shivering as she felt his breath against her lower lobe, she tried to take a step backwards and froze as he roughly gripped her wrist painfully.

"Make yourself useful, and set the table."

_How long can I keep this going?_

Glancing at the butcher knife laying flat on the table, she moistened her lips and turned towards the cupboards, pulling out three dinner plates. Hearing the low mutters behind her, she watched Hannibal instructing Maddie on the basics of the meat grinder as she moved towards the table.

"Ignore the butcher knife Oliveah. Or do I have to worry that you will put the blade to my throat for a third time?" Hannibal questioned, glancing over his shoulder as Madeline stared at her Mother.

"Momma doesn't like using the big knives" she spouted, feeling her Father's eyes on her face as Oliveah shook her head.

"Knives are sharp and can be dangerous if not used correctly" he offered, flipping open the dried bloody flaps of the white box. Feeling Maddie against his arm as she carefully peered inside, she screwed her nose up as Hannibal cradled the heart in the palm of his hand.

"Meat!"

Massaging the middle of Freddie's heart with his thumb, he pulled his hand back and licked at the blood as Maddie stared with wide eyes.

…

_Fifteen minutes later…_

Staring at the clock as she took in the time, she counted the hours and down to the exact minutes when Will was to return home.

_Are we going to make it?_

"Momma, what happened to your arms?"

Glancing down at her seated daughter, Oliveah rubbed at her exhausted eyes as Hannibal sat down a pot of red sauce on a pot holder.

_You can't even use Winston as an excuse_

"I had an accident."

"With one of the big knives?"

Dressing all three plates with cooked noodles, Hannibal placed the smallest plate in front of his daughter before grabbing the serving spoon for the sauce.

"Are you tired Momma?"

Wiping at the corner of her left eye, Oliveah sighed as she sucked in a deep breath before using her napkin against her nose.

"No Maddie."

"Madeline, has your Mother ever told you that it is not appropriate to lie?"

"Hannibal, stop this…"

"Will told me not to lie."

"Madeline, don't talk about Will anymore please!" Oliveah barked as she slammed her hands down on the table, making her daughter jump as Hannibal took a seat at the head of the table. Dipping the wooden spoon into the bloody red ground up heart sauce, he dressed Maddie's plate before holding out the spoon to Oliveah.

"I'll pass thank you and you are not eating that either" Grabbing the edge of their daughter's plate, she whipped it across the table and smirked as it crashed onto the floor.

"It is important for you to understand Madeline, that it is not appropriate to lie."

Turning her eyes to Hannibal, Oliveah watched as he spooned sauce onto his own plate before twirling his fork in the mixture. Holding it out towards Maddie, Oliveah froze as her daughter eagerly opened her mouth and chewed on the red noodles.

"How does that taste?"

"Really good. You can cook good" the child smiled as she shifted slightly in her chair.

"You can cook well,"

Hearing Hannibal's correction, Oliveah sprang to her feet and just made it to the sink as she started to cough up bile.

"I killed that bunny Momma,"

Wiping her mouth with the back of her hand as she spit into the sink basin, Oliveah turned and stared at her daughter as the child looked down to her lap.

_No…_

"I didn't mean to, but I…wanted to see what it looked like inside…"

Hearing the child's innocent words as she felt her hands shaking, Oliveah watched as Hannibal gave her a wink.

"Our daughter doesn't fall too far from the tree Oliveah."

"Hannibal, why are you here?"

Feeling the stupidity as she asked her question, Oliveah watched as the man rose from his seat before setting a light hand on Madeline's head in a comforting motion.

"For my family."

Hearing his simple answer, she felt the tears starting to fall down the sides of her cheeks as he moved away from the table, slowly stalking towards her.

"Nearly five years ago Oliveah, we stood in a kitchen…"

Feeling the edge of the counter pressing hard into her back as Hannibal came to stand in front of her, Oliveah moved her hands behind her as she slowly pulled open the drawer.

_This may be my only chance to try and save us Madeline_

_Please forgive me_

Feeling Hannibal's fingertips against her chin, she allowed him to stroke the length of bone as she quickly brought the fork up. Failing to twist away as Hannibal caught her wrist, she let out a scream as he grabbed her arm before wrapping a hand around her throat.

"**RUN MADDIE!"**

…

_Twenty minutes later…_

Slowly opening her eyes, the young woman felt excruciating pain radiating through her head as she listened to the silence all around her. Flexing her fingers, she felt the fabric sheets curling around as she stared up at the ceiling. Turning her head, her eyes went wide as she spied two syringes and a small glass bottle with the word Vecuronium Bromide printed boldly.

"Hannibal?"

Chocking out his name as she tried to move her arm, she felt the restraints pining her down as footsteps approached the bed. Straining her eyes as his face appeared before her, she felt her breath hitching in the back of her throat as he took a seat on the side of the bed.

"As I said before Oliveah, you have broken my trust."

_Fuck your trust _

"And, my heart."

Unable to wipe at her tears as she had no choice but to listen to his words, she watched as he reached over for one of the syringes and the bottle.

"Please…don't…."

Uncapping the needle, he opened the lid to the glass and dipped the head into the liquid before pulling back. Taping his finger to release the air bubbles, he angled himself slightly as he pushed the needle against her skin.

"I loved you"

Hearing the rawness and truth in her words as he tossed the used needle aside, Hannibal took in a deep breath as he stared into her face. Tracing the edge of his thumb along her bottom lip, he dipped it against her tears before tasting their saltiness.

"For she had eyes, and chose me."

Feeling his lips pressing against hers, Oliveah breathed out and felt the tightness in her chest as he pulled away.

_I…can't feel my body…_

"Don't do this Hannibal…"

Chocking out her words, she watched his rise to his feet before turning around and exiting the bedroom.

_He's killing me_

Hearing his footsteps once more as she lost feeling in her hands and neck, her eyes went wide as she took in the quiet blanketed bundle in his arms.

_Madeline_

"Don't take her…"

Holding his daughter protectively in his arms, Hannibal shifted her weight as he gave her a final glance.

"Will, will find you Hannibal. He'll…. kill you" she growled, feeling her jaw muscles going numb as the cannibal sneered at her weakening rage.

"Good bye Oliveah. May flights of angels sing thee to thy rest."

Hearing his footsteps disappearing from the room, she heard the front door of the cabin slam shut as she tried to take in a deep breath feeling the shock settling into her system.

_Forgive me Madeline_

…

**Thank you to Americanlatinajapanesegirl, VentablackValentina, Casperspalercousin, Mara-lethe, and Farrahjohnson21 for leaving reviews!**

**Please read, subscribe and review! **

**P.S. If anyone is wondering, I see the actress Mackenzie Foy (the little girl from Twilight) as my depiction of Madeline. **

**P.P.S. "For she had eyes and chose me" and "May flights of angels sing thee to thy rest" are quotes from Shakespeare**

_Americanlatinajapanesegirl – Thank you for reading!_

_VentablackValentina – In my mind as I wrote this, Oliveah was terrified from the moment she woke in the chair. Hope you enjoyed the ending!_

_Casperspalercousin – One big happy family!_

_Mara-lethe – I am the Queen of tension and cliff hanger endings!_

_Farrahjohnson21 – I agree. Oliveah rejecting Hannibal four years ago has only festered his appetite! _


	9. Chapter 9

I do not own anything related to Hannibal, either thru television, or written books. Everything belongs to Thomas Harris and Bryan Fuller. I do own all the created characters. I do not own any songs, or literature mentioned. They are included to enhance the written words. Please read, review, and enjoy!

**Chapter 9**

**Song(s): Exit Music (For a Film) (Radiohead)**

_(Flashback)_

_Dr. Hannibal Lecter's Residence, __51 Springlake Way, Baltimore, MD…_

_Walking away from the flashing red and blue lights of the ambulance, Kade Prurnell pulled up the collars of her black trench coat as she tried to shield herself from the falling cold rain. Taking a fleeting glance at the zipped up black body bag that rested on the stretcher at the back doors of the second ambulance, she felt her lips twitching into a scowl as she approached the lit-up house belonging to Doctor Hannibal Lecter. _

_Accepting a pair of forensic booties before she stepped foot across the threshold of the front door, Prurnell nodded her head towards two uniformed officers as one pointed a finger down the hallway. Moving her eyes along the paintings and hand drawn artwork that framed the walls of the corridor, she tuned in to a low conversation as she rounded the corner wall that brought her into the dining room. Spying the open double doors that led out into the backyard, she watched as Brian Zeller took a step backwards before running a hand over the scruff of his beard. Catching Prurnell's eye, he held his camera close against his chest as he rounded the corner of the dining room table, throwing out a hand in warning._

"_Be careful, there's broken glass from a painting that fell off the wall."_

_Pulling on a pair of latex gloves, Prurnell scanned her eyes along the caution tape as another uniformed Officer moved out into the backyard. _

"_Alana Bloom was alive when paramedics got to her" Zeller began as he looked over his shoulder at the crime scene. _

"_She was pushed out the bedroom window on the top floor. Suspected broken back, bones, embedded glass, head trauma, probable cranial bleeding. If she survives her injuries, I…" Hearing footsteps behind her, the Agent crossed her arms over her chest as Jimmy Price wiped at the corner of his eye. _

"_Jack lost a lot of blood, but the pressure he applied against his punctured jugular may have just saved his life."_

_This is a fucking nightmare!_

_Chewing on her thoughts as she remembered her last conversation with Jack Crawford in her office, she turned and walked out of the dining room and into what must have been the Doctor's study. Scanning her eyes, she stood at the side of a oak wood desk and glanced down at the expensive looking leather chair. _

"_Did you ever sit in this chair Miss Adler?"_

_Looking toward the window, she saw the flashing red and blue lights dim and as she pulled aside the curtain with her gloved finger, she watched the second ambulance pull away into the night. _

_An ambulance does not speed for the dead_

"_Fuck sakes Jack." Hearing a soft knock on the open study door, Prurnell glanced over her shoulder and said nothing as she caught a nervous and sick looking Price standing at the threshold. _

"_I…think you should come downstairs."_

"_We are downstairs Agent Price."_

"_No, I mean…downstairs, under the house."_

…

_2701 Strada Spatarului, Bucharest, Romania…_

Swallowing a deep sip of Fetească Albă white wine, Bedelia Du Maurier sat her glass down on the edge of the dark wood coffee table and breathed in deeply.

"Have you been caught, Hannibal?" she whispered to herself as she heard the distant ringing of church bells from the Catholic Cathedral. Crossing her arms over her white blouse chest, the Doctor walked slowly to the edge of the double french doors as she felt the chill of the early evening night air.

"You were to return seven days after you left for America. After you left, to find her. You are now three days late." Rubbing her left arm as she sucked in a deep breath to completely fill her diaphragm, she let it out slowly and for the first time in just over four years, felt the tension in her shoulders and horrific persistent fear leave her body.

"I survived you Hannibal Lecter" she smiled, suddenly spinning around on her heel as she picked up on the jingling of keys as the front entrance door slammed shut.

_No…_

Letting her arms fall straight against her sides, she felt her breath hitch in her throat as her knees threatened to give out to the floor.

"Good evening Bedelia,"

Feeling her chest starting to heave as she heard his elegant, Lithuanian accented voice growing near, she listened to the sound of keys coming to rest on the foyer table as his footsteps sounded up the hallway towards her.

"Hannibal…"

Feeling her eyes growing wide as the cannibal rounded the corner of the living room, she stared hard at the blanketed bundle nestled in his arms as he walked towards one of the sofa's. Taking slow steps on shaky feet, Bedelia slipped off her heels and padded towards Hannibal while keeping a safe distance.

"Hannibal, what have you done?"

Staring down into the sleeping face of his four-year-old daughter, Hannibal moved his hand against her warm cheek as he brushed aside a piece of brown hair that had fallen over her right eye.

"Doctor Du Maurier, this is my daughter Madeline."

Painfully swallowing the lump that had been sitting in her throat, Bedelia gasped as she ran her eyes over the child's eye lids, nose, cheekbones, lips, and chin.

"You found Oliveah…"

Pursing his lips as he gently caressed Madeline's cheek with his thumb, Hannibal pulled away as he straightened up to his full six feet in height, turning towards the woman at his side as he stared down into her wet blue eyes.

"Is she dead?"

Ignoring her question as he moved past her, his eyes fell onto her red lipstick stained wine glass still sitting on the table. Taking the glass up, he downed the contents in two large gulps before placing a soft kiss against the lipstick stain.

"Do not touch her Bedelia."

Freezing as she pulled her hand back inches from the child's blanket, Bedelia laid a hand on her stomach before bringing her fingers to rest against her throat.

"How could you do this Hannibal? You bring this child halfway across the world and…"

"Be very careful Bedelia,"

Shutting her mouth firmly at his sharp words, she turned and watched as he re-filled her wine glass for his own pleasure.

"You are not her Mother. You are not to act in any capacity or responsibility as her Mother. A nanny will be hired, and you will continue in your role as my "wife" until I have no further use for you."

Standing as still as stone like a child receiving harsh punishment, Bedelia felt herself starting to shake as a small cough sounded from the sofa. Feeling Hannibal's arm brushing against hers, she stood back and watched as he bent down and pushed the blanket away from the now awake child's face.

"Daddy?"

Squatting down against the front of the sofa, Hannibal attempted to pull the blanket completely away and stopped as Maddie reached out and clutched the fabric, holding it against her chin as she tried to hide her face.

"Where's Momma?"

"Momma, could not come with us I'm afraid" Hannibal spoke in a low tone as Maddie clutched the blanket tighter.

"Madeline, you are going to be living with me from now on. Have you ever been outside your town?"

Slowly shaking her head as she registered Hannibal's question, she watched as he held out a single hand palm up before nodding his head.

"I'd like to show you something."

Slowly reaching out, Maddie placed her small hand in her Father's and uncurled herself from the soft warm blanket as she swung her legs over the edge of the cushion. Tightly gripping Hannibal's hand, she glanced up at Bedelia and immediately clutched at Hannibal's pant pocket as he bent down and lifted her up into his arms. Holding her firmly against his right hip, he walked over to the vintage world globe that sat on a wooden pedestal and proceeded to spin it around with his thumb and forefinger.

"This is a globe of the world. Every continent, country, city, town, and ocean can be found on this map" he educated, slowly the spinning globe down with the edge of his thumb. "This is the country of Romania. This right here, is where we are this very moment." Feeling Maddie squirming to be released, Hannibal sat her down on her shoed feet as she stepped up to the globe, placing her finger next to his. Squinting at the cursive writing, Maddie frowned as she tried to read the word.

"R…Rom…"

"Romania."

"Romania" she repeated, yawning as she moved her finger around other areas of the hand drawn globe.

"Where's Momma?"

"Here, in America." Spinning the globe around slowly, Hannibal stopped it with a knuckle as Maddie rested her cheek against his wrist.

"Where are you from Daddy?"

Dragging his finger across the length of the Pacific Ocean, he arched his index finger up from Poland and draw a small circle around Lithuania.

"I was born in a country called Lithuania" he spoke, catching the child's yawn as she moved her chin against his wrist.

"What time is it?"

"Late. Are you hungry?"

"No."

"Tomorrow, we will get your bedroom ready. Any color you'd like."

"Daddy, did you know about me?"

Resting a protective hand on his daughter's shoulder, Hannibal gestured for her to take his hand and walk back across the floor towards the end of the hallway.

"I did not." Grabbing the edge of her blanket as they walked by the sofa, he tightened his grip on the child's hand and felt the bones of her small fingers as he caressed the small bed of her thumb nail. Catching Bedelia's still eyes as he rounded the corner of the living room, Hannibal scooped Madeline into his arms and felt her small arms wrapping around his neck as he pushed open a closed door to his right. Setting Maddie down on the bed, she quickly bounded off and stood on her tip toes as Hannibal stared down into her face.

"Momma says no shoes on the bed."

_How innocent you are Madeline_

Watching his daughter kicking off her shoes, Hannibal pulled back the bedsheets and pulled them up beneath her chin as Maddie settled down.

"I miss Momma and Uncle Will."

Standing at the floor to ceiling window, Hannibal stared out in the darkness of the courtyard as he crossed his arms over his chest.

"Do you miss Momma?"

_Do I miss you Oliveah?_

_For the better part of the word, I have missed you for nearly five years…_

"No."

"I saw Momma crying at the table when I said I killed the bunny…can I tell her I'm sorry?"

"No Madeline, you cannot."

Pressing her lips together as she heard the firmness in Hannibal's voice, she swallowed her tears as she felt his eyes falling onto her face.

"Madeline, you won't be seeing your Mother or Will."

_Ever again Hannibal?_

Hearing the child's whimper at his side, Hannibal breathed in deeply as he caught a shadow moving alongside the edge of the bedroom door.

"Try to sleep child."

Leaving the bedroom, his ears carried the soft sounds of his daughter's cries as he pulled the door closed behind him. Clicking his tongue against his front teeth, he slowly turned and spied light from under Bedelia's bedroom door. Walking up, he slowly pushed it open as his eyes fell on her seated form at the end of the bed.

"Would you let me leave Hannibal?"

Hearing her question as he leaned his shoulder against the frame of the doorway, he pursed his lips and stared at her hard.

"I'm surprised, that you didn't leave right after I left Bedelia" he spoke, crossing his arms as she raised her eyes.

"I honestly, didn't think you would be coming back."

"You thought I would be caught by the police."

"Yes."

"I see." Walking fully into the bedroom, Hannibal slid his hands into his black pants pockets before coming to stand in front of her. Staring down into her face, he could see the fear in her eyes as she looked up at him.

"The FBI will surely come after you, now that you've killed Oliveah and taken…"

"Who said that I killed Oliveah?"

Feeling her mouth falling open as she stared into the cannibal's cold dark eyes, Bedelia winced as she felt Hannibal's pant leg brushing against her leg.

"She's alive?"

"Two full syringes of Vecuronium Bromide. I only temporarily paralyzed her. Yet, you seemed surprised that I did not kill her?"

"You want her to come after you. You want her to find you. Her…"

"And if I do?"

"This cat and mouse game you are instigating Hannibal is not going to have a happy ending. Someone, is going to get killed."

Saying nothing as he pulled up the ends of his black sweater, he turned and walked back towards the door before looking back over his naked shoulder.

"I promised Oliveah years ago that I would never kill her. But I did not promise her, that I would leave her in one piece. Even if she is the Mother of my child."

…

_Sunday_

_Late Evening_

Spying the distant red mailbox at the end of the gravel driveway, Will felt his lips pulling into a smile as he made a mental bet.

"Maddie running out of the house with one boot on and Winston yipping closely behind" he spoke out loud as Buster barked before propping his front paws up against the passenger window.

"Almost home buddy. Almost home…"

Pulling up beside Oliveah's Ford truck, Will slowly pushed open his door and felt the coolness of the approaching evening as Buster jumped down from the seat to the ground. Yipping all the way up the stairs to the front door, he rounded the Volvo and opened the trunk as he pulled out two very full styrofoam boxes packed full of ice and fish. Setting both on the gravel, Will quickly stood up as he stared up at the house.

_No lights on_

Hearing Buster's barking, Will brought his hands up onto his hips as he heard no movements save for Buster at the closed front door.

"But your truck is here Oliveah…" Stepping around the styrofoam boxes, he ignored the fish as he started walking up the gravel towards the house. Climbing the wooden stairs, he shooed Buster away from the door as he twisted the handle.

_Unlocked_

Pushing the door open, he breathed in deeply and felt the vomit in his throat as the air surrounding him smelt of putrid.

"Oliveah?"

Calling out her name as he was answered with silence, Will moved into the kitchen and froze as he switched on the light.

_Smells like…_

"Blood."

Feeling his eyes growing wide as his breath hitched in his throat, he took a small step forward as he laid a shaky hand on the counter, inches from a cake knife covered in dried blood.

"Oliveah?"

Calling out louder, Will reached out and carefully picked up a small cardboard box that had once been white. Staring at the dried bloody bottom, he looked to a cooking pot sitting directly on the table top and felt his own blood draining from his face.

_Jesus, Madeline…_

"**OLIVEAH!"**

Dropping the box to the ground as he quickly rounded one of the wooden chairs surrounded by pieces of a broken dinner plate, he held his breath as he flew down the hallway, throwing open Madeline's bedroom door.

"**MADDIE?"**

Pushing aside her bed sheets, he saw nothing out of place just as a loud, ear piercing scream rang out from the bedroom across the hallway. Covering the distance in lunges, he threw open the bedroom door and nearly tripped over the threshold as his eyes went wide.

"He took her….**HE TOOK HER!**"

"Jesus Christ…Oliveah…" Throwing his eyes onto her bleeding wrists, he felt his mouth going dry as he took in the situation before him.

_She was tied down to the bed_

_Someone took Madeline_

_Someone…_

"Who did this?" Breathing quickly as he pulled his swiss army knife from his pocket, Will cut threw the ropes and froze as his eyes fell on two syringes and two bottles of a medical substance.

"I'm calling the police…"

Throwing a dried bloody arm out against Will's thigh, Oliveah stared up at him as she viciously shook her head.

"He took her Will…"

"Oliveah, who the fuck was here?"

Catching the hint of fear crossing her eyes, he held his breath as he felt his stomach lurch.

_No…_

"Hannibal."

…

**Thank you to dandeliondani, maralethe, americanlatinajapanesegirl, luce1993, farrahjohnson21, ventablackvalentina for leaving reviews!**

**Please read, subscribe and review! **

**P.S. If anyone is wondering, I see the actress Mackenzie Foy (the little girl from Twilight) as my depiction of Madeline. **

_Dandeliondani – Thank you so much for reading and reviewing!_

_Maralethe – I couldn't dare kill Oliveah!_

_Americanlatinajapanesegirl – Oh there's gonna be more!_

_Luce1993 – Freddie did have it coming. I was never a fan of her character. I have to say it would be nice to write about a nice little cannibal family, but there's got to be some drama : )_

_Farrahjohnson21 – I'm big on the shock factor! Thank you for reading and reviewing!_

_Ventablackvalentina – This whole story will have three parts and as you can see, Oliveah is alive : ) Now it's Hannibal's turn to be a Daddy_


	10. Chapter 10

I do not own anything related to Hannibal, either thru television, or written books. Everything belongs to Thomas Harris and Bryan Fuller. I do own all the created characters. I do not own any songs, or literature mentioned. They are included to enhance the written words. Please read, review, and enjoy!

**Chapter 10**

**Song(s): Alice (The Cocteau Twins)**

_(Flashback)_

_Dr. Hannibal Lecter's Residence, __51 Springlake Way, Baltimore, Maryland..._

"_You are not going to believe this Ma'am" Price breathed as he walked with a determined stride down the staircase to the front foyer of the first floor. Rounding the corner of the wooden banister, the forensic agent half turned and held out a pair of blue examination gloves towards Kade Prurnell as she sighed._

"_With everything that has happened already Agent Price, what more could I see?" she spoke, narrowing her eyes as two uniformed officers stepped aside of the kitchen pantry door with pale faces. Snapping on her gloves, Prurnell's eyes fell onto a busted open door in the floor as she breathed in the lingering scents of garlic, sage, and rosemary from hanging herbs on the far wall._

"_The basement?"_

"_Not just any basement Ma'am" a uniformed officer spoke slowly before turning around to vomit in the prep sink beside him. _

"_Jesus, make sure you note that his vomit is not a part of the scene!" Prurnell spat in irritation as she proceeded to follow Jimmy Price down into the narrow open floor door. Feeling the coolness of the underground against her face, she breathed in the faint scent of bleach as the sounds of her and Price's bagged shoe steps echoed off the walls of the expensive addition to the bowels of the house._

"_Officers have already taken photographs and forensics is going to do a second sweep for prints, hair and fibers, but to tell you the truth Ma'am…"_

"_What truth?" _

_Smelling the odor of bleach growing stronger as they walked further down the man-made hallway, Prurnell pursed her lips and felt the anger threatening to boil out of her entire body as she clenched her fists at her sides._

"_Well, the truth is…this room is so damn clean. Cleaner than a hospital. Hell, cleaner than a morgue!" Price emphasized as he threw his arms out wide before doing a slow spin in the middle of the empty room. _

_Is that a band saw? A hand saw on a stainless-steel table? _

_Taking a cautious step towards an enclosure built entirely out of glass, Prurnell held her breath as she watched Zellers shaking his head._

"_This enclosure is large enough that if someone where to be kept in here alive, they would be modestly comfortable" he spoke, straightening up to his full height as his superior officer scoffed._

"_We can only think that Agent. The same goes for the band and hand saws. We can only assume that Doctor Lecter made use of those until you find me evidence."_

"_We are trying Ma'am, and we'll continue to…"_

"_Don't try. Find. Find me evidence that Oliveah Adler was down here."_

_Quickly throwing his eyes onto Price's, Zellers rolled his shoulders back as he cleared his throat in question._

"_I'm sorry…Oliveah?"_

"_It's no secret that she was Hannibal's… bed companion" she spoke, just stopping short of saying the name partner. "I am convinced, that she knew exactly what was taking place down here under the perfect façade of a luxurious life with a world renowned Doctor. I want you to find me evidence that she was down here. A single strain of hair. Skin. Half a thumbprint. A fingernail. Her fucking driver's license! __**ANYTHING!**__ that will place her down here in this monster's basement" Prurnell spat as she turned to walk back down the hallway, desperate to get away from the lingering scent of bleach that she was sure had washed away many bloody carvings and dismemberments all at the hands of one Hannibal Lecter._

"_If we do find anything Ma'am, it just proves she was down here. Beverley…was also probably down here" Price added with a choke as Prurnell turned back around to face him._

"_Place her down here, and let me worry about the rest."_

…

_Northwest Hospital & Medical Center, __1550 N 115th St, Seattle, Washington..._

_10:12am_

Sucking in a deep breath as she screwed her eyes shut, Oliveah Maru Adler winced as sunlight streamed in through the half closed blinds of her private hospital room. Flexing all of her fingers at the same time, she raised her arms and was surprised to not find herself handcuffed to the railings. Hearing light snores from her left, she moved her eyes to rest on Will Graham's peaceful face as she took in his slightly parted lips.

_I have to get out of here William_

Propping herself up, Oliveah froze as her eyes fell on a set of broad black pea coated shoulders belonging to a man that she had not seen in over four years. Not since, he had tied a necktie around his jugular in a desperate attempt to stop his life from draining out all over the pantry floor of Hannibal's kitchen. Holding her breath, she watched as the FBI Agent turned slowly in front of the glass window before moving to the door, giving two soft knocks.

"Good morning Ms. Adler."

Staring into Jack Crawford's full face, Oliveah slowly leaned her back to rest against her pillow as she noticed the puckering of skin running down the left side of his neck.

_Hannibal has left every single one of us with physical scars_

"Jack?"

Throwing her eyes onto Will, she watched as he shook off the throw blanket that had been around his shoulders before sitting up to roll the kinks out of his neck.

"Mr. Graham,"

"You can drop the formalities Jack."

Hearing Oliveah's firm voice, Jack brought his eyes back onto her face and pressed his lips together tightly as he came to stand at the foot of her bed.

"Traces of Vecuronium Bromide. Too much of anything can kill, and you were given enough to be on the cusp of death. Just enough, but not quite enough to kill you" the Agent spoke calmly, scanning his eyes over her face as if searching for any tells.

"What can I say, clumsy."

Letting out a low chuckle at her response, Jack Crawford inched another foot closer as he noticed the tired bags around her eyes and the beginnings of a bruise along side her cheek.

"You are not a victim of your own hands Oliveah. Remember, I saw you coming out of _his _home in the early hours of the morning all those years ago."

Holding her breath as she heard his emphasis on the word _his, _she knew to whom exactly he was referring to as she slowly hid her hands and bruised cut wrists among the blanket.

_You have to keep your wits Oliveah_

_You can't acknowledge to Jack Crawford anything about Hannibal Lecter_

_Madeline's life might depend on it_

"I appreciate the surprise hospital visit Jack, but is there something that I can help you with?" she challenged, watching as the man in question folded his arms over his broad chest.

"You have had a child, with Doctor Hannibal Lecter."

Refusing to break eye contact, Oliveah pressed her lips together tight as she tasted the metallic hint of blood along her tongue.

_He has no proof_

_I didn't give birth in a hospital_

_She doesn't have a birth certificate_

_She's not enrolled in any schools_

_She's never even been immunized_

Blinking slowly, the young woman folded her hands together in her lap as she heard the scrap of a chair sidling up next to her bed.

_I've spent four years keeping her existence a secret_

_What was I going to do when she got older?_

"I'm sorry Jack, but I don't know what you are talking about."

"Oliveah…"

Nodding his head as he glanced at Will, Crawford felt his lips twitching as he tucked his chin into his chest.

"A concerned friend and her son stopped by your home while I was there with authorities. She seemed very worried for you and your daughter and asked me if you had gone to the hospital for your bloody arm," he spoke, glancing down at the blanket.

"Again, clumsy. I did accidentally cut my arm while making dinner," Oliveah began as Crawford suddenly cut her off with dark eyes.

"I saw your horrific dinner scene Ms. Adler."

Swallowing hard as she looked down to her empty lap, Oliveah let out a nervous chuckle as Jack's shadow fell over her hands.

_He wasn't going to give up_

"He was there wasn't he? Deny it, and I will tell the Agents to proceed with running all the finger prints they collected. When they come back as belonging to Hannibal Lecter, I will arrest you and hold you for as long as I can possibly can, opening up every case investigated connected to the bastard to try and tie you…" he began as Oliveah brought her still, wet eyes up and onto his.

"For she had eyes, and chose me."

…

_Twenty minutes outside Gresham…_

"Are you sure you want to go home?"

Blinking back into reality as Will's soft voice broke through her thoughts, Oliveah moistened her dry lips as she continued to stare out her window at the empty fields.

_Has Gresham ever really felt like home?_

_Nowhere has ever felt like home_

_Except…_

"Hannibal…"

"Won't harm her Oliveah" Will interrupted as he made a slow left onto Hurlburt_._

"You should have seen him with her Will. Gentle yet firm, paternal and instructive, hands on…" she wavered, catching his hand tightening around the steering wheel at her words.

"You are surprised that he appeared to be a good... father?" he questioned, lagging on the words good father in the same sentence with the name Hannibal Lecter.

"I never doubted that he would be. He adored his sister and… he was making plans for our life."

"What kind of a life do you think you and Maddie would have had with him?"

_Better than the one I have right now_

Flexing her fingers as she felt the truck slowing down, Oliveah straightened her back as she caught sight of their wooden mailbox catching the headlights.

_We are home_

"Honestly Oliveah, we can go to a motel. Hell, I'll even drive to Portland…"

Turning her head to stare directly into Will's eyes, she felt her lips twitching as he sat perfectly still.

"He's already found us Will. I have nothing left to fear" she breathed, opening her door as the engine of the truck died down to cooling clicks. Walking up the gravel drive in the darkness, Oliveah had no nerves with her footing as she slowly climbed the porch stairs. Hearing Will walking up behind her, she stood aside as he pushed his key into the lock, pushing the door open into darkness.

_Breath Oliveah, just breath_

Running her hand up the side of the wall, she felt the light switch and held her breath as the spotless kitchen was bathed in lamp light. Taking a single step forward, she halted at the lingering scent of faint bleach before setting her eyes on the wooden kitchen table that had been scrubbed clean and re-stained.

"I can wait outside,"

"I'm not a shrinking violet William, and you live here too," Oliveah muttered as she laid a hand on the edge of the table. Walking slowly around to the head of the table where Hannibal had sat, she pulled the chair out and took a seat. Resting the palms of her hands on the table, Oliveah mental pressed with all her might into the wood grains as she closed her eyes…

"_I killed that bunny Momma,"_

"_I didn't mean to, but I…wanted to see what it looked like inside…"_

"_Our daughter doesn't fall too far from the tree Oliveah…"_

Rising to her feet in silence, she said not a word as she passed Will who stood next to the counter that was devoid of any kitchen gadgets. Walking down the hallway, Oliveah stood still and took in the two closed bedroom doors across from each other. Pushing open the master bedroom door, she stepped over the threshold and stared down at the bare hardwood floor.

_He's removed all of the furniture_

Walking to stand in the middle of the room, her eyes fell upon where the bedside table had once been, where Hannibal had laid the two syringes and Vecuronium Bromide bottle. Feeling a shiver running down her back as she moistened her lips, Oliveah turned at the sound of approaching footsteps behind her.

"I honestly had no intentions of ever bringing you back here," Will whispered, watching as Oliveah turned to face him.

"Where else would I go William?" Moving around him, she stepped back out into the hallway and stared at her daughter's closed bedroom door.

_Did you empty out Madeline's room as well?_

Turning the knob in her hand, she could smell the faintness of the lavender essential oil from the diffuser that was kept on the white wooden dresser and as she stepped into the small bedroom, she felt her knees starting to buckle.

"Madeline…"

Taking a seat on the edge of the bed, Oliveah laid back and reached her hand out against the soft pillow as she felt tears stinging at the corners of her eyes.

"It's all my fault…"

"None of this is your fault."

Lifting her head slightly as she watched Will leaning against the door frame, Oliveah wiped at the corner of her left eye with the back of her hand.

"I knew he would eventually come back. I fucking knew he would, and I did nothing to safe guard…"

"Oliveah, you moved all the way across the country. Completely changed your career and lifestyle, and you did everything you could to not leave a paper trail concerning your daughter for the first four years of her life. You did a hell of a lot." Will spat as Oliveah slowly sat up, chewing on her lower lip.

_I did move all the way across the country_

_But it wasn't enough_

Narrowing his eyes as he watched Oliveah's face sinking into deep thought, he uncrossed his arms and came to stand in front of her.

"Oliveah…"

"Don't you dare try and stop me Will."

Hearing the low growl in the back of her throat, Will scoffed as he shook his head, staring down into her face.

"What are you going to fucking do? Get yourself to Europe? Stay in hostels, sleeping in parks and wander around looking for him? He left you no clue as to where in the hell he has taken off to Oliveah!"

_I don't even know if he is in Europe_

Flexing her fingers, Oliveah quickly rose to her feet and moved to stand in front of the dark window.

"Did he say thing or give you any indication as to where he was going?" Will asked with a tired tone as Oliveah shook her head, catching her reflection in the pane of glass.

"No."

"You need to speak to Jack and the FBI,"

Glaring over her shoulder, Oliveah felt her lips twitching as she tried to hold her anger back.

"I am not, speaking to the police Will. Ever."

_And I will never forgive you for calling Jack_

"He didn't kill you Oliveah. He very well could of, but he didn't. Please don't take that as some sort of sign that he wants you to find him."

"Hannibal wore a gold wedding band."

Perking his ears up, Will watched as Oliveah slowly closed her eyes while turning back around to face him.

"A mere piece of…"

"Do you think he married?"

Flexing the fingers of her left hand as she remembered staring at the gold band, Oliveah felt a sharp stab of sad pain in her stomach.

_Once upon a time, I was to be his bride _

_If I hadn't dared to run_

"No. But I don't think he is alone."

Hearing Will's footsteps coming to rest in front of her, she did her best to avoid his eyes and sighed slowly at the feel of his hand against the side of her chin.

"I won't ask you to come with me…" she breathed, feeling Will's fingers tightening around her chin.

"You don't have to ask. What do your instincts tell you Oliveah?" he whispered, searching her hazel eyes as she bit down hard on the tip of her tongue.

"That he would never keep her in America. It would be an insult to what he could teach and show her," she answered truthfully, closing her eyes as Will rested his forehead lightly against hers.

"I am going to find Hannibal Lecter Will," she breathed, feeling a sudden weight lifting off her exhausted shoulders with the admission.

"_We,_ are going to find Hannibal Lecter."

Feeling Will's warm arms wrapping around her, Oliveah breathed in the calming scents of pine and wood as he tightened his hold.

_No Will_

_I, am going to find Hannibal Lecter, without you_

…

**Thank you to Lestatgirl15, Farrahjohnson21, Americanlatinajapanesegirl, and VantablackValetina for leaving reviews!**

**Please read, subscribe and review! **

**P.S. If anyone is wondering, I see the actress Mackenzie Foy (the little girl from Twilight) as my depiction of Madeline. **

**Hope everyone is staying safe! Forgive the lack of updates. I was facing some writers block and sitting down to put ideas to laptop was not working. But I'm back now!**


	11. Chapter 11

I do not own anything related to Hannibal, either thru television, or written books. Everything belongs to Thomas Harris and Bryan Fuller. I do own all the created characters. I do not own any songs, or literature mentioned. They are included to enhance the written words. Please read, review, and enjoy!

**Chapter 11**

**Song(s): Human (Civil Twilight)**

_2701 Strada Spatarului, Bucharest, Romania…_

Swiping a second thick black coat of mascara across her dark lashes, Bedelia Du Maurier winced as she stared at her reflection.

_Your nerves are making you shiver Bedelia_

_And your cheekbones are starting to poke through with your weight loss_

Capping the wand back into the base, Bedelia watched it roll from her fingers and across the marble vanity countertop as she reached for her glass of white wine.

_Someone save me_

Watching her lips forming the silent plea, she bit down hard and tasted the rust of her blood as she brought the mouth of the glass up against her lips. Wincing at the pain as the alcohol stung at the split, she leaned in close to the mirror for a final time before poking at the bags that refused to disappear under concealer. Leaving her bedroom as she swung the mink wrap around her bare shoulders, Bedelia halted in her steps as she picked up on the sound of Hannibal's voice.

_Is someone here?_

Edging closer to Madeline's doorway, she perked her ears up as the child's voice asked a question.

"Daddy, how tall is the Eiffel Tower?"

"Three hundred and twenty- four meters."

"Momma doesn't know that. You should tell her," the child yawned as Bedelia slowly rounded the corner. Leaning against the edge of the doorframe, her eyes fell upon a scene that was reminiscent of many in a happy household. Lying stretched out on the child's bed dressed in his tuxedo, Hannibal Lecter sat propped up against a pillow holding a book as Madeline tucked herself against his side, her loose brown hair splaying over his sleeve.

_You need to play along Doctor_

_You need to make him believe that you want to play along_

Laying the book down on his lap, Hannibal pursed his lips as he lowered his eyes down the length of her dress.

"You look beautiful Bedelia."

"Madame B looks like a Princess" Maddie smiled as Bedelia gave a small curtsey. Narrowing his eyes as he felt his daughter giggling against his ribs, Hannibal pushed himself up to sit up before placing the book on the bedside table.

"Where are you going Daddy?"

"To the opera."

"What is an opera?"

"An opera, is a drama set to music and sung with spoken words. You've heard Tchaikovsky's Dance of the Cygnets, one day I will take you to see Odette dance and turn into a beautiful white swan" Hannibal spoke as Madeline's face lit up.

"Goodnight child."

…

_Money Market Pawn Shop, 13607 SE Powell Blvd, Portland, OR…_

_One Week Later_

"College students are always looking to sell their belongings to make rent or booze."

Narrowing her eyes as she watched the shop owner's tattooed hands rummaging through her cardboard box of items, Oliveah shoved her hands in her jean pockets as she glanced at the clock on the wall.

"College was a long time ago," she spoke firmly as the owner took a moment to take a good long look at her.

An almost, too good of a look.

"Take it as a compliment; you look young for being…" Glancing down at her driver's license, he mentally counted the years.

"Twenty-eight. I'll give you a hundred and fifty bucks for the entire box."

Feeling her stomach sink at the low amount, she had no choice but to nod her head as the man tossed her box of items onto the floor before giving it a kick into the corner.

Walking out into the evening sunset of downtown Portland, Oliveah slipped her sunglasses onto the bridge of her nose as she walked on shaky legs back towards Will's car. Slamming the door hard behind her, she slammed her fist against the middle of the steering wheel and ignored the startled couple who had been walking only a few feet away.

_This is patio weather_

_I should be out with friends having drinks and appetizers…_

_Except, all my friends are dead_

Laying her head back against the rest, Oliveah closed her eyes and sucked in a deep breath.

"Where in the fuck are you Hannibal?"

Hearing his name falling from her lips, she cleared her throat and sat up straight before wiping at her nose.

_Figure your fucking shit out Oliveah Adler_

Glancing at the closed notebook sitting on the passenger seat, she reached out and flipped it open to a fresh page.

_France_

_Paris (schooling)_

_Lyon_

_Lithuania (born) a castle, a cottage, mother, father, sister_

_Family's Castle in Kavnas?_

_Italy (where I became a man)_

_Baltimore_

_Montreal (where M was conceived)_

_United States of America_

_Canada_

_Quebec (not since I was a young man)_

Shoving the end of the pen between her front teeth, Oliveah let out a low whistle as she flipped back to a previous page filled with numeric scribbles.

"Four hundred today from pawn shop and Buffalo Exchange…" she muttered, jotting the numbers down as she mentally tallied all the money in her head.

_Four hundred plus five thousand for my truck…_

"Nine thousand three hundred and seventy-eight dollars is going to get me fucking nowhere!"

Throwing the book back onto the seat, she narrowly missed catching the pen in the face as it banged off the side of the door panel.

"I can't give up Maddie…"

Perking her ears up as she heard the happy laughter of children to her left, Oliveah rolled her window down slightly and focused her eyes on a group of children that were hanging onto a red colored tether of rope with an adult leader in front and one in the back.

_Play date?_

Watching two little blond haired girls skipping together in unison as the front leader held up a hand in a stopping motion before gesturing to the stop sign, Oliveah felt the words to a very familiar story starting to form on her lips.

"In an old house in Paris that was covered with vines, lived twelve little girls in two straight lines…" Feeling her throat going dry as she spoke, the young woman felt the tears stinging at the corners of her eyes as she continued to watch the children.

"In two straight lines they broke their bread and brushed their teeth and went to bed. They left the house at half past nine, in two straight lines in rain or shine…"

_Find us my dear Oliveah_

Snapping back into reality, Oliveah turned over the engine of the vehicle and without signaling, pulled out into the light evening traffic ignoring the blaring of horns as she broke the speed limit heading back to Gresham.

…

_(Flashback) _

"_At the age of six, I found myself sharing my life with a sister, Mischa. She was presented to me, a mere hour after her birth, and I fell in love with her immediately. I remember her tiny fat fingers twisting around mine as my mother instructed with a gentle firmness how to support her head."_

_His early childhood sounded simply ideal. What I wouldn't give to have had even a small piece._

_Crossing her legs as Hannibal kept his eyes firmly trained on his desktop._

"_If you don't want to say anything else Hannibal, you don't have to."_

_Hearing Oliveah's voice, Hannibal raised his eyes and it was then, she saw just how difficult this was for him. _

_The difficulty of trust._

"_We were each other's constant playmates until the summer I was ten years old."_

_Watching the Doctor's lack of comfort as he shifted in his chair, Oliveah rose to her feet and slowly rounded the corner of the antique desk, coming to rest against the edge._

_Moving his leg to allow her space, he watched as she folded her hands across her front before taking a seat on his desk in front of him. _

"_What happened when you were ten?"_

_Taking in a deep breath, Hannibal licked his lips._

"_Every summer, we travelled to our cottage in the countryside for the warm months. My father wanted me to experience a sense of adventure and freedom while my mother wished for fresh air and nature to fill her children's lungs…"_

"You must be starving."

Glancing up at Will from her seat at the wooden kitchen table, Oliveah splayed the fingers of both her hands out over the loose papers of her notebook before settling on a stack of detailed maps.

"France, Germany, Italy, Lithuania, Russia, Prague, Spain," You think he is somewhere in one of these countries?"

"From what I know of him Will, these are my best bets so far" she replied, staring down at the maps.

_Or, I may not really know him at all and be completely wrong_

"Taste, culture, fashion, manners, appetite, wealth, expensive. Taste, touch, smell…" she breathed, tracing her index finger along the borders of France and Spain.

_Would you really make this a game Hannibal?_

Hearing Buster's light whimper, Oliveah glanced down at her ankle and caught the old dog's white and grey muzzle resting against the top of her black boot.

_He would have killed you too boy_

_11:42pm_

Hearing Will's low snores from the brown sofa near the dying fireplace, Oliveah concentrated on the pen scratches of her notepad as she ran the pad of her index finger across the mouse key of her aged laptop. Searched extensively by the FBI before it was given back to her, Oliveah knew that the officers would find nothing connecting her to the Chesapeake Ripper.

_I'm not that stupid to leave a trace_

"Through McGill and Hopkins to now, you refuse to die" she whispered to herself as she pulled the edge of her brown wool throw up around her shoulders. Watching the screen light up, she felt her lips twitching as she stared at the generic background screen.

_Not even a picture of you Maddie_

Moving the cursor over the search bar, Oliveah rested her fingers on the well worn keys as a million thoughts ran through her head.

"What do I look up first?"

"_You killed her…"_

"_Her death was much overdue" Hannibal replied flatly as he massaged the heart in his hands, watching the blood squirming through his fingers._

"_Was it quick?"_

Typing in the name _Freddie Lounds_ followed by the word _death_, she was not surprised to find multiple news articles proclaiming the news of the tabloid turned author's grisly death.

"It's the details that sell," Oliveah breathed as she clicked on the first article. Followed by a second, followed by a third. Running her eyes over the similar wordings, she stretched her arms over her head and was not at all surprised to see that not one of the news agencies had dared to throw in the name Chesapeake Ripper.

"It's been five years since that night in Baltimore, you've faded from the public's memory Hannibal," she breathed, rising to her feet. Grabbing a small mason jar from the cupboard, she filled it to the brim with hot water and took a long sip as her eyes fell back onto the laptop. Re-taking her seat, she returned to the search bar and added the word _pictures._

_I need to see you dead Lounds_

Clicking on a site halfway down the page, Oliveah leaned her back against the hardness of the wooden chair as her eyes stared at a set of wide open blue eyes and a gaping bloody chest cavity.

"_You'll be able to relax, knowing that Ms. Lounds won't be writing a book or any articles on __our__ little family anytime soon"_

The sight before her on the screen didn't so much as make her want to throw up, but rather, lean in closer, taking in every horrific detail.

"Fuck you Lounds. You deserved Hannibal Lecter."

Bringing up a new tab, Oliveah typed in the words _FBI ten most wanted_ and clicked on the official government site watching as ten faces, all male populated the screen.

_Notice: The official FBI Ten Most Wanted Fugitives list is maintained on the FBI website. This information may be copied and distributed…_

Feeling her throat instantly going dry, she moved her eyes over Hannibal's photograph and lingered on his eyes before glancing quickly at his lips. Clicking on the picture, she read over the man's height, weight, and physical features before landing on a curious set of four words.

_May have an accomplice _

"Are you with someone Hannibal? Another woman?" Feeling her stomach sinking at the idea that the gold band that had adored his ring finger was not just a mere piece of costume as he had proclaimed, Oliveah rose to her feet and slowly closed the lid of the laptop.

"I can't stay here any longer." Glancing towards Will sleeping soundly on the couch, she took a step forward then halted in place.

_He's tried to kill you on one too many occasions Will_

_I have to go alone_

Feeling the tears pooling in her eyes as she scribbled a quick note, Oliveah slid it carefully under his set of keys on the counter before slowly opening the side closet door. Reaching in past her baskets used for the farmer's market, she pulled out a tan colored Jansport backpack that was packed to the brim along with a green Roots jacket. Slipping on her Blundstone boots, she tucked her mobile phone in the back pocket of her jeans and gave one last look at the first place that ever felt like a real home in her entire twenty-eight years of life.

_Will I ever see this place again?_

_Will I ever see you again Will?_

…

_Baltimore, Maryland…_

Throwing a tired hand out as she spotted a yellow Checker Cab, Oliveah stepped back onto the sidewalk as the vehicle slowed down beside her.

"Where to?"

Sliding over the covered seat, she slammed her door shut and laid her head back against the rest.

"Patterson Park."

"Any…specific street entrance?" the cabbie questioned as he wiped at his brow with the back of his meaty hand.

"No."

_Twenty minutes later…_

Feeling herself drifting in and out of sleep, Oliveah threw her eyes open and tried to determine her surroundings as her blood ran cold.

"Stop the car…**STOP THE CAR!**"

Lurching forward as she threw a hand out to catch herself, Oliveah tossed a twenty dollar bill into the front seat as she grabbed her bag and threw open her door. Shielding her eyes from the blazing hot afternoon sunshine, she slowly walked on shaky feet towards the for rent sign that sat posted in front of the dark blue painted brick house. Stopping in front of the mouth of the alleyway, Oliveah bit her lower lip almost to the point of tasting blood as she took a step forward on the gravel.

"Daniel, you are finally selling this place?"

Whispering to herself as she pulled out her mobile phone, she switched the device off of flight mode and sighed as she watched the text message and voicemail icons populate almost immediately.

_I know they are all from you Will_

Thumbing in the phone number of the realtor, Oliveah moved to stand in the shade of the alleyway as a pleasant female voice picked up on the other line.

…

_1 hour later…_

"As you can see, this townhouse is close to Patterson Park which is beautiful in the summer and to Johns Hopkins. Three bedrooms, three bathrooms, a designer kitchen with all modern stainless steel appliances and a brand new marble island. Hardwood floors all redone, large bright windows and an open floor plan" Grace Mason spoke with a smile as she checked the time on her phone.

_Definitely a major upgrade from when I use to live here_

"Listing price is two hundred and forty thousand dollars. It's a great place to start if you are thinking of stepping into the rental business. A lot of renters charge the students at the university here in town rent by room," the woman spoke as Oliveah stood beside the kitchen counter, laying her fingers against the marble.

_I know_

_I use to be one of them_

_Inside this very house_

_The only one, left alive_

"Do you work at the University? Miss Collins?"

Glancing out the kitchen window, Oliveah gave a small shake of her head before taking a step backwards, bringing her eyes up onto the ceiling above her.

"We can go upstairs…"

"Actually, I would like to look upstairs on my own if that's alright," Oliveah spoke firmly as she squeezed the edge of the counter with her hands.

Laying her file folder with all the townhouse documents fanned out at her fingertips on the island, Grace pursed her lips as Oliveah turned to face her.

"By law, I need to inform any potential buyers if a death has happened on the property," Grace began as Oliveah refused to bat an eye. Walking past the realtor without a word, the young woman rounded the corner of the banister and took slow steps up the completely remodeled staircase.

_I've walked up these steps_

_Tyler and Andrew have walked up these steps_

_And Doctor Hannibal Lecter has walked up these steps. In the dead of night carrying a knife, dressed in head to toe plastic_

Keeping her eyes forward, Oliveah walked straight down the re-furnished wooden hallway and with a deep breath, walked into what had once been Tyler and Andrew's bedroom. Moving to stand in front of the window, she briefly glanced down to Clinton Street before turning back towards the door. Walking back into the hallway, she pushed open the door to the bathroom and stared at the white lion claw tub that was a step up from what had been in place before.

_One room left Oliveah_

Sucking in a deep breath, Oliveah Adler gripped the newly installed handle on her bedroom door and pushed it open as she blinked slowly…

_(Flashback) _

_Taking an exhausted seat on her made up bed, she reclined against the wall and silently ate the crackers._

"_You can't be blind to him Oliveah"_

_Hearing Will's voice in her head from earlier in the day, Oliveah sat the box of goldfish aside and closed her eyes._

"_I'm not blind Will, I know who and what Hannibal is…" she whispered, opening her eyes and looking at her fingers._

"_But he is what I want."_

_Hearing her own words, Oliveah felt her chest starting to heave as she moved to the edge of her bed._

_He is a serial killer_

_You know he is the Chesapeake Ripper_

_You know he is framing Will_

_You know, that one day he will come for you_

_Looking over to the letter that rested beside the crackers, she gently took it between her fingers and ripped along the top. Pulling out the folded sheets of paper, her nose picked up the scent of an expensive perfume, one that she had smelled before._

_Running her eyes over the elegant writing, she flipped to the second page but found no signature._

"_Dr. Du Maurier?" she breathed before starting the short letter at the very beginning._

_Dear Oliveah, _

_I have written this letter to you mere hours after our surprise meeting at the Museum. _

_This letter, will not be one that wishes you well but rather, written as a warning to you concerning Doctor Hannibal Lecter. I have no doubt that he has pulled you fully into his life. Our confidential sessions have made mention of you numerous times. Hannibal's interest in you has been for quite some time and I can only warn you that if you don't leave Baltimore immediately, you will eventually find yourself on his menu… _

"You're, not serious about buying this place, are you?"

…

_10:31pm_

Pulling up the collars of her black windbreaker, Oliveah felt the pain shooting up her right ankle as she finally turned down Springlake Way. Feeling the cold shiver running down her spine as the late evening temperature noticeably dropped, she quickened her steps and felt her chest tightening as the dark house came into view.

_How is this place still allowed to stand?_

Glancing over her shoulder, she spied no one on the sidewalk behind her or across the sleepy wealthy street as she pulled up the hood to her sweater. Staring up at the dark looming house, her eyes fell on the private property signs that hung all over the fence that surrounded the property. Slipping into the heavy bush that had grown up on the right side of the yard, Oliveah pushed aside a chunk of fence and squeezed herself through just as she heard the tearing of fabric.

"Fuck!"

Gritting her teeth as she felt the pain of the cut along the back of her arm, she moved her hand against the fabric of her windbreaker and felt the wetness of blood along her fingers. Wiping her hand against the side of her jeans, she stared at the piece of fence that had cut her as she brought her thumb and index finger to soak in her mouth, she couldn't help but smile.

_No evidence left behind_

Wiping her wet fingers along the fence edge, she erased any obvious sign of her presence as she pushed herself through the rest of the fence. Listening to the silence all around her she crouched down in the darkness.

_Would it be just that easy to walk in through the front door?_

_Just like old times?_

Glancing up at the windows, she could see every one of them boarded up solid as a flash of lightening illuminated the clouds above her. Feeling drops of cold rain against her face, Oliveah rose to her feet and steadily walked across the overgrown grass towards the gravel drive as she stood under the overhang. Feeling rain drops still falling down the back of her neck, she glanced up and saw the large hole and old bird nest drooping before she focused back on the boarded door. Making a fist, she pushed against the wood and was not surprised to see it open with ease. "I'm likely not the first person that has broken into your house Hannibal," Oliveah whispered to herself as she stepped into the dirty foyer. Standing in the quiet darkness, she reached a hand out and touched her fingers against the vandalized wall…

_(Flashback)_

_Feeling Hannibal's hand against her ear, she closed her eyes and let out a soft moan as he lightly traced along her lower lobe. If he was going to throw me back onto the street, he wouldn't have let me step over the expensive wooden threshold…_

Hearing the crunching of glass beneath her shoes, Oliveah walked down the long hallway stepping over trash and more glass as she pulled her phone out of her back pocket. Turning on the torch light, she laid a hand on the dirty banister and raised her eyes as she read out the words spray painted up the length of the wall devoid of expensive artwork.

"Murder…Sadist…Cannibal…"

Stepping into Hannibal's old study, she could almost see the Doctor's oak desk with her laptop sitting front and center. Walking over towards the far wall, she stopped with three feet to spare and held out her hand. Making a spinning gesture, she moved her eyes to her right as if a presence had suddenly morphed beside her.

"_France is where our child will be born. After that? We will go anywhere you choose."_

"You wouldn't be in France Hannibal, that would be too easy. Maybe eventually, but not now," Oliveah muttered to herself as she walked the length of the wall.

"Did you take anything before you walked out the door?"

Moving her hand along a carved section of wall, her fingers hooked along the back edge and pulled as a piece of the carved frame pulled away.

"No doubt the FBI found your safe, but they wouldn't have found," moving her fingers around the small compartment, she was surprised to find the space empty.

_He must have taken everything before leaving out the patio doors_

_Money, passports, his Mother's wedding ring_

Stepping over three broken beer bottles, Oliveah adjusted the straps of her backpack as she turned towards the kitchen.

"I have to pass through the dining room first," she whispered, walking on shaky feet as her eyes fell on the large empty room. Kicking old newspapers and empty wine bottles aside with the toe of her shoe, her eyes searched and froze where the wooden floor board had been repaired. Even though nearly six years had passed since her foot had grazed the bullet hole in surprise during dinner, she could still find the mark. Moving her eyes towards the boarded up patio, she pressed the palm of her hand against the thick wooden board and closed her eyes as Alana Bloom's twisted, broken, and bloodied body stared up at her from the concrete.

"Did you survive Doctor Bloom?"

Leaning her shoulder against the wall that would round to the kitchen, Oliveah stood frozen as she moistened her lips, feeling her stomach becoming upset. Bringing a hand up against her mouth, she swallowed back the bile that threatened to come up as she turned back towards the staircase.

_I can't step foot in that kitchen ever again_

Slowly climbing the wooden stairs, her ears picked up on the slight creeks with her every step as she pushed open the master bedroom door.

_Their bedroom door_

Feeling a cool breeze and hearing the pattering of rain drops, Oliveah sighed as she noticed a hole punched through the wooden board against the window. Shutting the door behind her, she used her phone's torch once more as she moved to stand in front of the fireplace. Chewing on the inside of her cheek she stared at the burnt discarded candles and lighters as her eyes fell on a jaggedly carved satanic pentagram on the floor inches from her toes.

"Fucking squatters."

Walking into the large closet, she kicked aside a used condom and empty chip bags before returning to the fireplace. Grabbing two candles and two lighters, she moved back to the closet and took a tired seat on the floor. Closing the door to about two inches, Oliveah shivered as she sat her phone right side up. Smiling as she light both candles with success, she rubbed her hands together over the flames before pulling her bag close. Pulling everything out, she smoothed the palm of her hand over one of the maps before grabbing the package of wet wipes. Pulling her shirts off, she turned them inside out and stuffed them in the folded cotton bag before dragging a wipe over her arms and the back of her neck. Pulling on a fresh tank top and her last clean longsleeve top, she laid her head on the bag and pulled up the ends of a thin grey Dollar Tree blanket over her shoulders.

"There is only one person that can help me find you Hannibal" she breathed, closing her eyes before falling into a deep sleep.

…

_7:12am_

_The last time I was brought here, I nearly died_

Spying the towering iron wrought gate that surrounded the entire property, Oliveah cleared her throat as a sickening feeling started to creep all over her…

"_The Vergers are one of Baltimore's most wealthy and politically connected families. Money and notoriety thus produce pure disgusted arrogance, and a sense of false entitlement."_

Scoffing as she heard Hannibal speaking in her head, she felt the Uber slowing down as the driver half turned around with a hand up.

"Do you know who lives here?"

Digging into her pocket, she tossed a hundred dollar bill at him and threw open her door.

_Are you watching me right now?_

Noticing the black call box on the stone wall, Oliveah slammed the palm of her hand down against the call button and raised her eyes up to the small camera.

"The Vergers are not seeing anyone this morning" a voice spoke through the speaker as Oliveah slammed her hand against the button once more. Taking a step back to make sure her entire body was captured on the camera, she brought a hand up and shielded her eyes as the voice crackled once more over the speaker.

"Tell Mason Verger, that Oliveah Adler is here to see him."

…

**Thank you to vanessaserrato, vantablackvalentina, lestatgirl15, farrahjohnson21, and dandeliondani for leaving reviews!**

**Hope everyone is staying safe! **

_**Vanessaserrato – Thank you so much for taking the time to read!**_

_**Vantablackvalentina – Oh I plan for Maddie to have some scenes! Thanks for reading!**_

_**Lestategirl15 – Thank you for reading!**_

_**Farrahjohnson21 – It's a tough call for Team Hannibal or Team Oliveah!**_

_**Dandeliondani – I'm still torn as to Oliveah and Hannibal's ending. I know how the end of this Part 2 is gonna end, and how Part 3 is going to start, but as for Oliveah and Hannibal's life together…**_


	12. Chapter 12

I do not own anything related to Hannibal, either thru television, or written books. Everything belongs to Thomas Harris and Bryan Fuller. I do own all the created characters. I do not own any songs, or literature mentioned. They are included to enhance the written words. Please read, review, and enjoy!

**Chapter 12**

**Song(s): Carmen (Georges Bizet)**

...

_Federal Bureau of Investigation, 9109 NE Cascades Pkwy, Portland, OR…_

Sitting alone in the pale brown and beige office, Will Graham reached out and brought his coffee cup up against his lips just as the door behind him opened. Knowing the man that entered quietly, he didn't bother to stand as Jack Crawford's light cologne reached his nostrils.

"I'm curious Will as to why you asked me to come here instead of you flying to Baltimore?"

"Why Baltimore?"

Taking a seat in a black leather chair opposite the former FBI instructor, Jack crossed his legs at the ankles before letting out a deep breath.

"My first guess as to where she would have run off to would be to the scene of the crime."

Shifting in the chair as he listened to Jack's words, Will shook his head as he reached for his cup once more.

_Baltimore Maryland_

_The home of Hannibal Lecter_

"Oliveah didn't run off Jack," he spoke boldly as he took another deep sip of the scalding hot black liquid.

"Of course not. She only left you with a few words scratched on a piece of scrap paper saying she had to find him on her own. Not to mention that she had failed to give you any hints that she was leaving in the middle of the night," Jack added, reaching for his own cup as he noticed Will's shoulders sinking slightly.

"I knew Jack. She had bought maps, talked about finding him."

"Finding him?" Jack coughed in surprise as he folded his arms across his chest. "Unless she lied about knowing which country he is hiding in, she is going on a wild goose chase" he added, catching Will's eye as the young man looked towards the window.

"Were you two sleeping together? Were you a couple?"

"Not relevant Jack."

"I see."

Moving his tired eyes onto Crawford's face, Will glanced at the side of the Agent's neck and remembered back to the night when he was one hundred percent sure they were all to meet their deaths.

_He_

_Jack_

_And Oliveah_

"So you asked me to come here because you woke to find Oliveah gone and a farewell note to say that she was going out alone to track down one of the FBI's most wanted who also happens to be the Father of her daughter."

"That is not public knowledge Jack and we would appreciate if it stayed that way," Will spat as he rose to his feet. Walking towards the large window, he glanced down at the street below and felt his old friend's presence next to his right arm.

"You're a smart man Will, where do you think she would start?"

…

_2701 Strada Spatarului, Bucharest, Romania…_

Staring at her dull reflection in the gold framed mirror that sat upon the mantle of the stone fireplace, Bedelia quietly cleared her throat as she slowly turned around, fixing her eyes on the four year child who sat content in her Father's brown leather chair with an art book from the Galateca Gallery.

"Daddy promised to take me to the gallery soon," Madeline smiled as she flipped through the book once more.

Offering no response to the child's words, Bedelia straightened her arms at her sides as she took a step forward…

_(Flashback)_

"_You are not her Mother. You are not to act in any capacity or responsibility as her Mother. A nanny will be hired, and you will continue in your role as my "wife" until I have no further use for you…"_

"Madame B, is Nanny sick?"

"Yes."

"Are you taking care of me today?"

_Hannibal would never allow it_

_But there is no one else_

"Madeline, would you like to come to the shops with me?"

_..._

_Amzei Market, Strada Piata Amzei, Bucharest, Romania…_

"They smell pretty!"

"Un buchet de crini roz calla." Tucking the bundled pink calla lillies in the basket, Bedelia quickly looked down to her gloved left hand and stared as Madeline curled her small fingers around her own.

_I've never been comfortable around children, but you child…_

"How about some macaroons for dessert tonight?"

Catching Madeline's wide toothy smile as the little girl walked with a spring in her step, Bedelia held her hand tightly as she opened her mouth to speak.

"Before we visit the brutărie, would you like to see some trains?"

_Twenty minutes later..._

"Take a seat Madeline."

Following Bedelia's direction, Maddie moved in close and scanned her eyes over all of the transit riders as loud words spoken in Romanian echoed off the stone and tin walls from invisible speakers.

"Where are these trains going Madame B?"

"All over the city and Europe. Hundreds of people everyday climb onto these trains and leave. I come and sit here every day," she added, glancing to her right as she brought her eyes up onto the lens of the closed captioned security camera.

"Daddy showed me on the globe where Romania is and where Momma is. Does one of these trains go to Momma?"

Looking down into the child's innocent face, Bedelia held her breath as she heard an announcement calling for the last train of the evening that would travel to the outskirts of the city.

_You could get on a train_

_You could take her on a train and leave Bucharest_

_All you have to do, is buy the tickets_

"Why do you come here every day if you never get on a train Madame B?"

Patting the child's hand as she removed her glove and tucked it into her coat pocket, Bedelia offered a weak smile as she heard the whistle of the departing train.

"I come here Madeline, in the hopes that someone will see me," she spoke, catching the child's confusion as she turned and glanced up once more towards the security camera.

_But no one ever sees me_

…

_Later that evening_

"Daddy, can I have some of your wine?"

Moistening his lips as he sat his fork down, Hannibal reached for the stem of his wine glass and held it steady as Madeline slid off her chair, rounding the corner of the dining room table to his side. Sneering as she smelled the white wine, she took a small sip and coughed as some of it ran down the side of her mouth.

"Ew!"

"An acquired taste my dear," Hannibal smirked as he brushed the edge of his thumb to catch the wine that had dribbled down her chin. Watching his four year old daughter climbing back onto her chair, he offered a gaze towards Bedelia who had uttered not a single word since they had taken their seats.

"And how were your lessons this morning?" Hannibal questioned as Madeline stabbed her fork into a whole green pea pod.

"Madame B took me to the…Gara d…Gara de Nord" she stuttered, chewing on the pod from her salad as Hannibal paused, holding his own fork inches from his lips. "And we got chocolate macaroons for dessert!" the child smiled widely as Hannibal slowly moved his cold glare onto Bedelia's pale face.

"The Gara de Nord Bedelia?"

Gripping the handle of her butter knife, she stared down at the white skin tightening over her knuckles as the tip clinked against the side of the bone china plate.

"The Nanny was sick so I took her to the market," she began as Hannibal elegantly scrapped along the middle of his plate, gathering a few pomegranate seeds and shaved parsnip onto his fork.

"You're suddenly looking rather pale Doctor Du Maurier."

Blinking quickly as she caught Hannibal's icy eyes from across the table, Bedelia winced as she felt her fork falling from her hand with a clang to the wooden floorboards.

"Leave it Madeline."

Freezing as her Father's thunderous voice broke out, Maddie sat still on her chair as she glanced over at Bedelia.

"Madame B dropped her fork, I just wanted to help," she whispered, looking over at the seated woman.

"I don't need your help child," Bedelia spoke with a firm tone as she laid both her hands down flat on the edge of the table in a bid to stop them from violently shaking.

_I need the FBI's help_

…

_11:23pm_

Sitting alone in the living room near a large floor to ceiling window that faced out into the dark yard, Bedelia sat and slowly moved her hand to feel just under her thigh. Running the edge of her thumb along the sharpness of the steak knife, she returned her hands into her lap as she suddenly sat up straight.

_L'amour est un oiseau rebelle  
Que nul ne peut apprivoiser  
Et c'est bien en vain qu'on l'appelle  
S'il lui convient de refuser_

_Rien n'y fait, menace ou prière  
L'un parle bien, l'autre se tait  
Et c'est l'autre que je préfère  
Il n'a rien dit mais il me plait_

Hearing the muffled voice of the soprano echoing off the walls from the vinyl record, she slowly rose to her feet as she held the steak knife, carefully sliding it up the white sleeve of her blouse.

_L'oiseau que tu croyais surprendere  
Battit d'aile et s'envola.  
L'amour est loin, tu peux l'attendre.  
Tu ne l'attends pas, il est là._

_Tout atour de toi, vite vite,  
Il vient, s'en va, puis il revient.  
Tu crois le tenir, il t'evite.  
Tu crois l'eviter, il te tient_

_Run_

_Run Bedelia_

_Run out the door and don't stop_

Spinning around on the heel of her shoe, she broke out into a run across the floor just as she was slammed hard chest first into the front door. Letting out a sharp yelp as she was spun around, her eyes went wide as Hannibal squeezed his hand tightly against her wind pipe.

"All around you, swift, so swift, it comes, it goes and then returns ...you think you hold it fast, it flees you think you're free, it holds you fast" he whispered in tune with the French words as Carmen sang her heart out into the bowels of the house. Feeling the woman struggling with no success, Hannibal glanced down to see a smear of red wetness growing alongside her sleeve as it transferred onto the torso of his white dress shirt.

"Were you planning on stabbing me Doctor Du Maurier?" he growled, staring down into her face devoid of all emotion and expression. Feeling her trying to shake her head, Hannibal leaned in close to her left ear and brushed his lips against her lower lobe.

"Left or right Bedelia?"

Struggling against his strong grip, she offered only a compressed breath and wide eyes as Hannibal registered her terror.

"You should be terrified Bedelia. But something tells me, that you enjoy the feeling of being utterly and fucking terrified of me," he swore, half dragging her into the dark kitchen before roughly pulling a Japanese steel meat cleaver roughly out from the drawer in the island. Releasing his hold on her neck, he heard her sucking in a deep lungful of air as he pinned both her wrists down with the weight of his free hand onto the island top.

"Left…or right?"

Watching the sharp blade of the cleaver tickling along the inside of her right wrist, she knew it was useless to try and pull away as she felt Hannibal's body against her hip, holding her firmly in place.

"Hannibal…please…"

"I will count to ten, then _I_ will choose," he breathed with a harsh tone as Bedelia felt the heavy beads of sweet pooling along her forehead.

"One…"

"Daddy?"

Raising his eyes as he felt Bedelia trying to straighten up her posture, Hannibal held her firm as he continued to count.

"Two, Madeline, come here please."

"Hannibal..**NO!**"

"Three, Madeline would you like to see what your Father does to people who betray him?" he asked calmly as the small sleepy child rounded the corner of the kitchen island and froze at the sight of the cleaver.

"**HANNIBAL! NOT IN FRONT OF HER… I…. PLEASE, NOT IN FRONT OF HER!,"** Bedelia screamed with wet eyes as Madeline clutched at the small teddy bear in her arms, holding it against her chest with wide eyes.

"Let her watch."

Slamming the sharp steel down against Bedelia's left wrist just above the bone, he smiled widely as the woman let out a bloody curdling scream before slumping down his thigh into a heap on the floor. Stepping over her body, Hannibal gave only a passing glance at her separated bloody left hand that rested dripping on the island as he approached his daughter. Hearing the child scream as he picked her up in his arms, he restrained her hands against his chest as she tried to push herself away.

"**DADDY! YOU HURT MADAME B!" **Madeline screamed, hiccupping in between her cries as Hannibal carried her down the dark hallway towards her bedroom.

"What you saw Madeline, will not be the first. You are my daughter, and I intend to show you everything that I am capable of" he spoke firmly as the child went limp in his arms from exhaustion.

"We are leaving Romania tonight dear daughter. Let us hope, that Madame B will be on her best behavior."

…

**Thank you to Lestatsgirl15, Guest, Americanlatinajapanesegirl, Vantablackvalentina, Vanessaserrato, Farrahjohnson21, and D'elfe for leaving reviews!**

**It's a bit short for a chapter, but I hope everyone is staying safe! **

_Lestatsgirl15 – Next chapter is between Oliveah and Mason!_

_Guest – I did see that! Hannibal is back on Netflix, but I can't understand why no station or company will sign the show on for another season or two!?_

_Americanlatinajapanesegirl – I was reading back on some of the old chapters from part 1. So many written words! I do miss writing the first part._

_VantablackValentina – Thank you so much for your kind comment!_

_Vanessaserrato – Thank you for reading and reviewing!_

_Farrahjohnson21 – I loved Joe's version of Mason Verger. His laugh always chills me to the bone_

_D'elfe – I'm still working out the details of how she will find him. I have bits and pieces written down everywhere. But there will be a part 3 to this story as well._


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